Reading time – 54 seconds . . . For decades we have had a most efficient, self-reinforcing cycle in our politics of incrementally allowing more and more money into our political infrastructure. As we did that, the Big Money Interests gained incrementally more influence over our laws, our bureaucracy and our courts to drive ever-larger… [read more]
Yesterday’s Horse Races
Reading time: 39 seconds . . . We have spent the last 69 years preparing to fight the Cold War, which ended 25 years ago. That means that for the entire duration of those 25 years we have maintained a military readiness, funding all the weapons that won’t be used and all the soldiers who… [read more]
Our Lady of What?
Reading time: 54 seconds . . . Picture a little country church. It has a white steeple, stained glass windows and a lovely, white porch in front of the double doors leading into the church. On either side of the doors is a pot bellied guy with a handlebar mustache and shaved head, wearing a… [read more]
Newton Was Right
Reading time: 56 seconds . . . In case you missed the short New York Times essay entitled When May I Shoot A Student?, I suggest you read this fine piece of satire about carrying guns on campus. Then consider the awful realities. We are living in times that are awash with fear. We fear “Islamists”… [read more]
Elephants
Reading time: 64 seconds . . . A guy is walking down the sidewalk when he spots his friend Ralph standing at the corner. He notices that Ralph is snapping his fingers. “Hey, Ralph,” he says. “What’s with the finger snapping?” “I’m keeping the elephants away.” “Ralph,” the guy says, “there aren’t any elephants around… [read more]
A Modest Proposal
Reading time: 68 seconds . . . There was a time when we Americans believed in the strength, resiliency and the fortitude of each of us. We took responsibility for ourselves and didn’t look to others to solve our problems. We were proud and independent. Then things started to go awry. The Sixteenth Amendment (ratified… [read more]
The Certainty of Infallibility
Reading time: 73 seconds . . . I’m not from Louisiana and I don’t follow politics there, so the first time I knew of Gov. Bobby Jindal was when I watched the Republican response on February 24, 2009 to President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress. I was powerfully impressed by Jindal’s brainless… [read more]
Stupi-geddon
When you elect politicians who focus solely on staying elected, they curry favor with rich people. When politicians curry favor with rich people, they get lots of money. When politicians get lots of money, they do really stupid stuff. When politicians do really stupid stuff, the people suffer and America becomes weaker. When the people… [read more]
How Can We Reach Them?
Just back from presenting a Money, Politics & Democracy program in downstate Illinois and the same thing became obvious once again. My program is always well received, yet most of the people who turn out for events like mine are already believers. And while their attending gives me the opportunity to provide motivation for their… [read more]
Propaganda
Editorial note: Before anyone goes hyperbolic, imagining that this is a comparison of anyone today to the Nazis, get that it isn’t. The issue is propaganda, and you need to be clear about what that means to you. ——————————- I recently visited the Field Museum in Chicago to see the exhibit, “State of Deception: The… [read more]
