It is amazing, to me at least, that independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist, has emerged as a viable candidate in the Democratic primary. The U.S. seems to be relentlessly center-right and is beginning to resemble an oligarchy much more than a democracy. The Republican Party has moved to the … More Bernie Sanders
Nikki Haley, the governor of South Carolina, actually said in an interview on MSNBC, “… we’ve never in the history of this country passed any laws or done anything based on race or religion.” http://mashable.com/2016/01/13/nikki-haley-race-religion/#GZXjJ6cfE8qQ What’s astonishing about her pronouncement is that she simply can’t be lying. Nobody would intentionally tell such an obvious whopper. … More Explaining the Unexplainable
On the face of it, equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism seems absurd. Many defenders of Israel argue that criticism of Israel becomes anti-Semitic when it calls into question Israel’s right to exist. But how can criticism of specific policies pose an existential threat to any state? Massive opposition to the U.S. war in Vietnam … More Criticism of Israel and Anti-Semitism
Imagine you’re a professional Republican strategist. You’re a well-read right-wing Republican ideologue, even an intellectual. You subscribe to Reason, a right-wing libertarian magazine. You hold Ayn Rand in high esteem. You have a very principled opposition to state intervention in the economy. You believe fervently in free markets. You are a staunch defender of the … More The Nightmare
Nine Reasons to Celebrate 2015 Most of us were blissfully unaware of an epidemic of opioid addiction and the 19,000 deaths that resulted from it. For much of the long Canadian election campaign it seemed likely that the NDP would take government, and even though it didn’t in the end, just thinking it might was … More Looking Back
Severe weather is hammering the southern states, all those states that didn’t vote for Obama. Tornadoes, flooding, snow, and ice are causing havoc across the so-called Bible Belt. Texas just got hit with a horrendous tornado. What’s going on? Could God be punishing the red states? Is it possible that God is a liberal Democrat … More Whose Side Is God On?
A mystery about Donald Trump has emerged that trumps (so to speak) all of the other mysteries about him such as how on earth he is still in the race. The new mystery is his bizarre reaction to Hilary Clinton’s alleged bathroom break during the Democratic debate. He was clearly visibly shaken and disgusted by … More Trump and the Bathroom Break–Mystery Solved
Decide who said the following, Dave Barry, Adolf Hitler, Pope Francis, or Donald Trump. “If you win, you need not have to explain…If you lose, you should not be there to explain!” “Show me someone without an ego, and I’ll show you a loser.” “Do not compare yourself to others. If you do so, you … More Who said that?
Acupuncture: An alternative medical technique involving the shallow insertion of needles through the skin at particular points on the body (called acupoints) that is widely believed, without a shred of scientific evidence, to be effective in the treatment of all sorts of ailments. Alternative medicine: A cluster of treatments and potions that are often, but … More Glossary of Important Terms
What if Donald Trump is playing an elaborate joke on the country and especially on the Republican Party? Until a few years ago, he was a pro-choice liberal Democrat. Then he went Birther. Trump claimed he never accepted the evidence that Obama was born in the U.S. If Obama was born in Kenya, his presidency … More Trump: What If It’s All an Elaborate Joke?
No Harm Spilt 