Question: Look closely at the pic here (larger one below). Why do these Pennsylvania-based employees of Shell Oil look so somber, considering that the U.S. President is wearing a smile? Answer: Can be found at Clean Energy Answers.
Category: Renewables – Politics
What To Do About Hatred and White Supremacy
When I call my mom every few days, I start off asking about family news: health issues, recent achievements, and the like. Then I often ask, “What’s happening in the world?” causing her to chuckle audibly, as she knows what …
American Exceptionalism: What Makes the U.S. Different
We hear a lot about American exceptionalism today. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing can be debated, but there is no doubt that we are, in fact, unique in the world. Do you know what happens in …
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Tagged with: American exceptionalism
The Politics of Small-Town America
I may have mentioned that I tutor at the local high school here, which, among other things, gives me the occasional opportunity to speak with faculty. Of course, discussion of sensitive subjects, e.g., religion and politics, can be tricky, and especially …
The Atlantic: “The Shame and Disgrace Will Linger”
The headline above is taken from this article in The Atlantic Magazine that begins: August 10, 1969: San Clemente, California—President Richard Nixon accused his predecessor Lyndon Baines Johnson of complicity in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Speaking with reporters …
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OK, Charles, What Was it? The Best of Times Or the Worst of Times?
It couldn’t have been both, right? Well, maybe. While extreme right-wing forces are gaining strength in many places around the world, the free press, the only mechanism preventing would-be autocrats from rising to power, has enjoyed a few good moments …
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Rough Days for the U.S. Presidency
On this day in 1974, Richard Nixon officially resigned from the presidency. This is worth noting because Nixon had significant political support….right up to the time that he didn’t.
A Justice System in Disarray
From the Writer’s Almanac: Today is the birthday of the Dutch dancer and spy Mata Hari, born in the Netherlands (1876)…..The exact nature of her spy activities is not clear, but she probably didn’t engage in much actual espionage.
Tagged with: Justice System in Disarray
What Did America’s Founding Fathers Intend?
There may be certain ambiguities about the intention of America’s Founding Fathers. Does the Second Amendment grant the right of all individual citizens to own automatic weapons? (Doesn’t seem reasonable to me that the answer could be yes, but apparently, …
The True State of the Union
According to the Writer’s Almanac: It’s the birthday of writer Alexis de Tocqueville, born in Paris (1805). He was 25 years old when the French government sent him to America to study the prison system. He spent nine months touring towns and …
