We’re looking at the endgame of (largely) unregulated capitalism. This is what greed and an icy cold indifference to human misery, left to their own devices, look like: unlimited political corruption, cruelty, poverty, a vanishing middle class, environmental devastation, racial hatred, moral degradation, and oligarchy.
Fortunately, the majority of Americans see what’s happening and are demanding change.
The meme suggests that we’re more sensitive to opinions generally than we have been in the past, but that’s not the issue. The problem is that many people have opinions today that the rest of us find disgusting, and they don’t have any compunction about voicing those opinions, thus revealing that they’re people of terrible character.
If you think it’s OK to separate little children from their parents and lock them in cages, or destroy the environment for profit, or fan the flames of racial hatred, you’re a vile human being; it’s just that simple. If you express those opinions publicly, you’re both stupid and vile.
It is with sadness that I note the passing of Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe’s markets.
In response to Trump’s new claim (see meme) that the coronavirus is a hoax perpetrated by the Democrats, a reader notes, “In a way, I am glad he is further exposing his utter insanity for all to see. We must be at the tipping point of his doing something so mad he is hauled off.”
We often talk about the basic principles of physics here, since they are so fundamental to our understanding of the various sources of energy available to us. (more…)
Little Dutch girl in traditional national costume
As I’ve mentioned, the people I run into from outside the U.S., when asked about Trump, generally try to be kind, and say things like, “We just feel sorry for you.” While courtesy is a good thing, if you’d like to hear from someone who doesn’t mince words, check this out.
The pic here is from a collection of “Photographs of Old Philadelphia,” which happens to be my home town. Growing up, I always kept some quarters in my pocket, and I became a frequent customer of the enterprise whose sign is seen here.
As a happy result, I can discern the difference between what’s actually happening in the world and the ways it’s reported by Fox News.
Frankly, I doubt very much that reporters were “mystified.” These people follow Trump around and are familiar with all aspects of his extremely consistent demeanor:
From all accounts, he hates learning. He doesn’t read, and dislikes being briefed, even on critically important subjects. (more…)
“At a time when a leading presidential candidate and members of Congress are turning toward socialism, Amb. Haley argues there’s never been a more important time to stand for capitalism.”
This is the level of ignorance that the Republicans are aggressively playing to in their campaign messaging. Two key things: (more…)
In this map of the United States, the red and orange sections have equal population. That’s understandable, as a) the U.S. was settled on the Atlantic Coast, and travel westward was very difficult at the time, b) people like to be close to the oceans for their aesthetics and mild climates, c) ocean ports facilitate business, and d) the interior of the country is conducive to farming, which supports low population densities. (more…)
