“It’s a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. The Democrat candidates running for president are talking about it. The House of Representatives is holding hearings on it. And the media are running stories about it. The “it” … Continue reading
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”– Winston Churchill There’s a big brouhaha these days over socialism. The president declared that we would never become a socialist state. And virtually all of the Republicans use the word socialist as … Continue reading
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies” – Groucho Marx Who doesn’t like the Fourth of July? The inspirational speeches, the patriotic music, Tchaikovsky’s’1812 Overture with its booming cannons, the hot dog eating contests (gag) and the evening sky filled with colorful … Continue reading
“I hope that all physicians, including those who are members of Congress, other health care professionals, and professional societies would speak with a single voice and say that health care is a basic right for every person, and not a privilege to be available and affordable only for a majority. The solution for how to … Continue reading
It seems like almost every person in our society these days is seeking equality – economic equality, racial equality, gender equality, legal and social equality, health care equality, educational equality, opportunity equality, and on and on. Those who plead for equality are obviously seeking a remedy for inequality. In that regard, they see themselves as … Continue reading
Pondering Pogo’s Enemy – One Op-Ed at a Time NOW AVAILABLE If you are interested in Essays, Commentary, Current Events, Social Issues, Political Issues, Democracy, Governance, National Security, Environmental Issues, Economics, Military, or History, this book may be of interest to you. Available for order online and from local bookstores in print and eBook … Continue reading
Amid the shrill and irritating noise of politics these days, there have been a few news stories reporting on the progress of robotics; especially robotic cars. Robots are just one of the engineering outgrowths that are part of Artificial Intelligence and high tech automation systems. Besides cars, their applications run the gamut from the military, … Continue reading
Donald Trump’s Narcissism In the American Psychiatric Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” narcissism is defined as a personality disorder. The Mayo Clinic provides a list of symptoms indicating that those with this disorder may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious, that they often monopolize conversations, that they belittle or look down … Continue reading
“Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Notwithstanding a few creationists out there, I think we can all agree that the universe existed long before we humans arrived on the scene and that it will continue to exist long after we’re gone. This … Continue reading
. “Law is reason, free from passion.” – Aristotle . And then there were eight. The passing of Justice Scalia in February 2016, left the Supreme Court in something of a dilemma. There are four left leaning Justices and four right leaning. Therefore, the chances of tie votes, an equal split in opinions, would … Continue reading