Blind Faith and Women
A good friend of mine, an economics professor, is a devout libertarian. Years ago, he explained that he was opposed to the Civil Rights Act barring discrimination in employment. In no way is this...
View ArticleWhy the Hobby Lobby Decision Is a Stunning Setback for Women's Rights
Fundamentalist employers can opt out of paying for health insurance for contraceptive coverage to their workers, the U.S. Supreme Court said last week in the Hobby Lobby decision. Defensively, the five...
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Driven to Distraction: The Absurdity of Roadside Digital Billboards
Lung Cancer and automobile accidents are two of the leading causes of avoidable deaths in North America. In response, all levels of governments have introduced legislation, fines and public education...
View ArticleIgnorance of History, and Its Price
"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it," is usually attributed to George Santayana. Harry Truman's version was: "The only new thing in the world is the history we have not...
View ArticleThe Insanity of the Death Penalty
In case you haven't noticed it's 2014 and the death penalty is still alive and well in 32 states of the great United States of America. This is the self-proclaimed land of the free, home of the brave...
View ArticleThe Worst President Since World War II? Uh, Guess Again
When George W. Bush was inaugurated president of the United States on January 20, 2001, the unemployment rate stood at 2.4 percent. By the time Dubya completed his second term in office on January 19,...
View ArticleEven With California's Legislature on Summer Vacation, Things Keep Perking in...
With the California legislature off on a month's vacation beginning with the 4th of July weekend, it's a period in California politics in which several matters are poised awaiting resolution; namely,...
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Marijuana Legalization Update
Tomorrow, Washington state will become the second state with a legal recreational marijuana market (look for a whole bunch of stoner jokes on tomorrow's television news, in other words). While Colorado...
View ArticleThe Good News About Obamacare in the June Jobs Report
Many people touted the 288,000 new jobs the Labor Department reported for June, along with the drop in the unemployment rate to 6.1 percent, as good news. And they were right. For now it appears the...
View ArticleBarack Obama, Wall Street Warrior?
It was good to hear President Obama say that reining in Wall Street's high-risk behavior is an "unfinished piece of business." It would be even better if this observation were quickly followed by...
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To Understand Child Migration, Look Beyond the Border
Although the escalating numbers of child migrants have created a new humanitarian challenge on the southern border, the causes of this surge are familiar. They appear to be an intensified version of...
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What the Top-Secret TPP Talks Mean for the Future of the Internet and Democracy
It's always the most sinister, and yet cowardly things that live in the dark. For decades, corporations and state officials have continued to scheme through dozens of international deals to capture...
View ArticleIsrael-Palestine: Fighting Political Violence with Silence
Following the horrific murders of Israeli and Palestinian teens, it is time for people on both sides to rise up in silent joint and simultaneous protest against all forms of political violence. The...
View ArticleWhat Are Crucial Comms Strategies to Cut Through hte Noise Before the Midterms
The midterm electorate is comprised of the most passionate voters - devoted and engaged political activists who write letters to editors, blog, volunteer on campaigns, and take part in other civic...
View ArticleObama Choosing the Wrong Enemies
In the winter of 1974, Seymour Hersh, arguably America's greatest investigative reporter, pieced together a story he had been working on for years, developing contacts both in and out of the country's...
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The Doctrine of Corporate Separateness: Why the Hobby Lobby Decision Is an...
Do you know why people form corporations? One of the most important reasons is to protect the personal property of business' owners from creditors seeking payment for debts that business might incur....
View ArticleOne or Two Cheers for Unanimous Supreme Court Decisions
A leading story line of the just-concluded Supreme Court term is celebration of the fact that the Court has rendered unanimous rulings in about 2/3 of its decisions, the highest percentage in almost 75...
View ArticleWhen Government Breaks the Fourth Wall
You're at the theater. You're sitting in your seat, paying attention to what's going on in front of you. If the play is any good, you've completely forgotten that you're sitting in a theater. You are...
View ArticleHow the NRA Benefits From Stoking Fear About Gun Regulations
One thing about the gun debate I find interesting is how quickly and easily gun owners get riled up when politicians, or anyone else for that matter, begin talking about taking away their guns. From...
View ArticleThe Heresies of Humans
In the month of August 1945, Japan witnessed the most horrific human carnage. Two nuclear bombs plummeted from United States warplanes killing thousands. Some estimates put the death toll at over...
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