When you read about desperate refugees crossing the English Channel in dinghies, do you ever ask yourself why these people left home in the first place? Few give it much thought. To most, migrants seem just a fact of life. But the reality is they’re “the thin edge of the wedge of a vast exodus” …
Continue reading ‘The cataclysm caused by the war on terror’ »
The Capitol riot highlighted the need for DC statehood in tragic, terrifying relief. The 700,000 residents of DC watched as racist armed insurrectionists took over city streets, hotels, restaurants, Airbnbs, and peaceful neighborhoods before and after the Capitol attack, powerless to do anything about it. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser was hamstrung in her attempt to …
Continue reading ‘The attempted coup and the District of Columbia’ »
Studies have shown that attending church frequently does not make white christians less racist. In fact, the data suggests that the opposite is true. The connection between holding more racist views and white christian identity is actually stronger among white evangelicals who attend church frequently than it is among those who attend less frequently. My …
The 2020 Election illustrated how organized money has been devouring American Democracy. It’s not just a problem in Maine – Democrats’ ability to fundraise far exceeded expectations, but that’s not necessarily a good thing if you don’t know how to put all that money to good use. (It didn’t have the hoped- for effect in …
“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” (Harlan Ellison, quoted in the I newspaper). My comment: More than ever in history has there been less excuse for being ill-informed and spreading fabrications and lies. We are almost inundated with news and …
“By systematically defunding the IRS, rich tax cheats and their allies in Congress have all but guaranteed that they won’t ever have to pay what they owe. We’re not talking about loopholes or manipulation of the tax code. Just plain old illegal tax evasion. Unless something changes, over the next decade, they’ll steal $7.5 trillion …
“Numquam praestantibus in re pública gubernanda viris laudata est in una sentencia perpetua permansio”. Sticking with what they think has never helped political leaders.
The Monmouth University Polling Institute conducted a poll in 2019. One thousand people were interviewed about their attitude towards religious fundamentalism, ethnocentric prejudice, and their political views and affiliations. The book written on the subject, “Authoritarian Nightmare: Donald Trump and his followers” by John Dean and Bob Altermeyer, was reviewed in the Washington Post on …
The Monmouth University Polling Institute conducted a poll in 2019. One thousand people were interviewed about their attitude towards religious fundamentalism, ethnocentric prejudice, and their political views and affiliations. The book written on the subject, “Authoritarian Nightmare: Donald Trump and his followers” by John Dean and Bob Altermeyer, was reviewed in the Washington Post on …
I have never made blog entries personal (well, not often!) but I feel like mentioning the fragile state of my ataraxia, better known as peace of mind. I spent part of my youth studying pre-war nazi and fascist takeovers in the 1920s and 1930’s, and subsequent events. My university tutor warned that, given the right …
An astronaut, miles above the Earth in a spacecraft voted in the American election with an encrypted ballot. I thought that was wonderful. On the other hand ruthless gerrymandering has discouraged thousands of US citizens from getting to the polls in person. The President has spent huge amounts of time trying to discredit mail-in voting. …
Continue reading ‘Every qualified citizen should be allowed to vote’ »
The politicization of science in the name of religion and political partisanship is not new to the United States, but transformation of traditional geographically and economically based political parties into religiously oriented ideological coalitions marks the beginning of a new era for science policy.” (Jon Miller and colleagues, Michigan State University in “Science” magazine) My comment: …
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Washington has initiated its largest spending binge in history. In the process, you might assume that the unparalleled spread of the disease would have led to a little rethinking when it came to all the trillions of dollars Congress has given the Pentagon in these years that have in …
Continue reading ‘Covid-19 Means Good Times for the Pentagon’ »
Arson,looting and street protests are a volatile enough combination in themselves. But what made the runrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and other US cities even more incendiary is the growing presence of armed vigilantes. These self-styled militia, or “civilian patrols”, claim to be helping keep the peace, yet their arrival simply makes violence more likely. Witness …
Continue reading ‘If you are not concerned about vigilantes you should be’ »
When citizens of 13 EU member states were asked which of 35 countries they would be willing to offer financial help to in a crisis, the UK came below all but Colombia and Tunisia. On average, the UK received a net score of -8%, compared with 30% for Italy, 29% for Spain, and 17% for …
