Our Secretary of Defense
As suggested at left, some of us are not too keen on what’s happening in Washington D.C. right now.
Tagged with: Secretary of Defense
Why Libertarianism Doesn’t Work
Earlier in my life I was a libertarian, a viewpoint that I maintained until I realized the truth in what Naomi Klein say at left. In the absence of government regulation, corporations, whose sole duty is to turn a profit for investors, would turn this planet into a hellscape in a matter of just a few years.
And now, given what we know about climate change, part of that “hellscape” is an Earth that features droughts, desertification, ferocious storms and floods, loss of landmass, food shortages, ocean acidification, and loss of biodiversity.
American Oligarchy
There is no doubt that the United States is headed away from the most important experiment with democracy in the history of humankind, and its government of, by, and for the people.
But what happens next? Does this country become just another banana republic? I doubt it.
Will we ultimately be the force that enables the fossil fuel industry to bake our home planet?
Again, I doubt it. I believe that Americans, despite our massive ignorance due to our crumbling educational system, will eventually turn this disaster around.
Tagged with: American Oligarchy
In America, Rule of Law Has Disintegrated
I would guess that the percentage of Americans who believe that our system of justice is broken runs north of 90%. But many people tie our system of justice to whatever political party happens to be in power at the time.
I ran into an old friend the other day who is furious that Joe and Hunter Biden haven’t been prosecuted for taking bribes from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. I pointed out that a former FBI informant who fabricated a story about their accepting bribes that became central to Republicans’ impeachment effort was sentenced to six years in prison.
She laughed and said, “Just wait until the new Justice Department takes shape under Trump.” Her point is that Trump will make sure that Biden, and especially political rivals who called for him to be prosecuted for his crimes are punished.
Whether she knew it or not, her point is that the present-day United States has completely lost its sense of fairness and honesty.
Tagged with: rule of law
Trump Inauguration Is a Day of Mourning
I don’t own a black outfit, so I won’t be following along. But I truly understand the sentiment.
A reader pointed out: “I won’t be watching someone swearing an oath he has no intention of upholding.”
Tagged with: Trump Inauguration
The Most Agonizing Part of American Life
Here’s something from a group called “Canadians Against Trump.”
Perhaps the most painful aspect of life here in the United States is knowing that we had grossly overestimated the intelligence and decency of the typical American. It really does hurt.
Tagged with: Canadians Against Trump
How Does Trump Remain Popular?
It’s true that the MAGA crowd is generally unintelligent, but the real common denominator of most Trump supporters is that lies and other “stupid stuff” are not deal-breakers. They love Trump’s strongman policies of racism, environmental deregulation, and anti-wokeism.
Tagged with: Trump Remain Popular
Bad Blood in Amerca
So far, Donald Trump has done to the United States precisely what he wanted: exacting loyalty from both houses of congress, having all criminal charges stemming from his attempt to overthrow the government dropped, and dividing the nation between the hateful MAGA crowd and decent people.
The Price of Ignoring Reality
The current “reality” that the United States is largely ignoring is that it has re-elected one of the worst people in human history.
Will there be a price to be paid? To be sure, though it’s too early to know exactly what that price will be.
Noam Chomsky on Hope
Here’s a piece of wisdom from Noam Chomsky.
As Arthur C. Clarke put it shortly before his death, “I try to be optimistic, because both optimism and pessimism are self-fulfilling prophecies.”
