(2 comments) SHARE        Saturday, January 5, 2013
Black Panthers = Occupy =Terrorists? Just as in the old Cointelpro days, the FBI was going to assassinate protesters. Why?

(8 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Fed and Freedom If the Fed were abolished, the gold standard wouldn't eliminate war; it would create new ones to control the gold. What is needed, instead, is nationalization of the Fed, so that it's no longer an awkward public-private hybrid that mostly caters to its private members, the banks. That might go far to dismantle the Empire: when employment is more important to the Fed than inflation.

(3 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I'm Hit By the Underground Economy I'm hit by an illegal in an uninsured car with counterfeit plates, and I realize: we all pay for the terrible immigration policy we have. Illegal status promotes illegal acts, like uninsured vehicles; legalization would diminish them.

(4 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, September 21, 2010
A Global Disease? Tea party anger should be taken seriously. Progressives need to realize: that anger is really about something else: economic distress caused by the successful counter-revolution beginning with Reagan. That realization should tell us that progressives can harness that anger directly--instead of letting it be diverted by racist, theocratic rhetoric. Progressives need to harness emotions, not just rational argument.

(4 comments) SHARE        Friday, April 30, 2010
Far-Left Socialist--Obama? The Faith & Freedom Coalition of former Christian Coalition leader, Ralph Reed, shows how to spread its propaganda, "poll" 5,000,000 "taxpayers" and raise money all at the same time. What's astounding are the fictions this group is spreading.

SHARE        Thursday, January 14, 2010
"Reform" in New York State Governor Patterson has offered a bold idea for New York State: consolidating and cutting state entities. Why is this radical? Because New York State is the mother of all bureaucracies, with the highest property taxes in the nation as a consequence. Can Patterson carry through on his proposal?

SHARE        Sunday, September 6, 2009
A Camera is a Terror Weapon! A personal account of an encounter--outside a large prison--with the pervasive paranoia of "terrorists"in this country, and how, in the end, I avoided being charged by the police.

SHARE        Friday, August 28, 2009
Answering Conservative Arguments Against Healthcare Reform They say we should have a "free market" in healthcare, and that government involvement will drive the dollar into hyper-inflation--as well as requiring 'death panels," etc. We've had a "free market" and look what it costs! More than twice those feared 'guvmint' programs in other nations. Without employer health insurance it would be worse, still. Without even minimal regulations? That's what they advocate!

(2 comments) SHARE        Friday, August 7, 2009
Honduras and My Venezuelan Family There are parallels between Honduran and Venezuelan upper class hatred of Venezuela's Chavez and Honduras's Zelaya. They are why it will be difficult to undo the Honduran coup. In addition, American business may be less democratically inclined in this situation than Americans might assume. That's important.

(2 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Representation by the Lobbyists, For the Lobbyists - the People be Damned The "climate change" bill that passed the House, and the negotiations on the health care bill, both prove that we have government by and for lobbyists and special interests, not Democracy. The ultimate reform we need is to get money out of politics. In the meantime, we'll probably starve from droughts, or be washed away from floods, due to the "compromise" worked in Waxman's bill, and we won't even have public health care.

SHARE        Monday, June 22, 2009
Iran: Possible Revolution on Twitter Twitter is a tool of the educated, tech-savvy, but it's not surprising that Iran's educated are at the forefront of their election upheaval: the middle class is usually necessary for any revolution. The main questions are: who will prevail, and what effect will that have on the world? We won't know the outcome for awhile, but the turmoil should make nuclear negotiations easier, either way.

(1 comments) SHARE        Thursday, May 28, 2009
Mountaintop Mining, Politics and Lawsuits Neither a corrupt Congress, nor a corrupted EPA will stop mountaintop removal, or reduce coal's role in energy production, but lawsuits could make a major difference: calling for lawyers specializing in class action damage suits.

(3 comments) SHARE        Thursday, April 9, 2009
Muscle-bound America Gates, DOD Secretary's proposed weapons cuts unleashed a firestorm of mobilization--within the defense industry. Cap and trade meets resistance in Congress. Why? The US is over-organized, no change will be easy, because money favors the status quo--on defense, global warming and the economy. But perhaps not on health care.

SHARE        Friday, January 30, 2009
Don't Attack Afghans, Develop Afghanistan Another offensive strategy in Afghanistan/Pakistan will be counterproductive. What is needed instead is, first, basic security for the Afghan people, and then massive development programs that will make tangible the benefits of not supporting the Taliban. The US should retire its deadly Predator drones, and bombing raids that kill civilians and thus bolster support for the insurgents.

(7 comments) SHARE        Thursday, January 15, 2009
Push for Single Payer in Stages Andrew Cuomo's suit of a health insurer reveals the true nature of health insurance companies: we need to move to Single payer insurance, like Medicare. However, given the political power of the insurance industry, we need to move in stages: let the industry continue to insure; just set up Medicare (or equivalent) as insurer for anyone, at Medicare prices ($96/month). Let the private insurers compete: you know who will win.

(3 comments) SHARE        Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Copyright is Property Copyright is socially created and is compatible with a market-based economy, but it may have to undergo changes as the Internet creates more outlets for the distribution of culture.

(3 comments) SHARE        Monday, November 24, 2008
Sic Transit Dingell Congressman Dingell was the Big Three's enabler. Now, with Waxman we'll have a Congressional Chairman on Energy who's not going to protect the Big Three from themselves, and has a reputation as someone who gets things done.

(31 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Why Prosecutions of Bush-Cheney Are a Bad Idea Why Obama doesn't want to pursue Bush-Chemey staffers on crimes committed. I offer an alternative that would still ensure that the crimes will not be committed again, even if Bush issues pre-emptive pardons.

(6 comments) SHARE        Friday, September 26, 2008
The Right Wing Nation Seen from abroad, the US is one of the most right wing nations in the world. Here's why. Will our handling of the financial crisis and the Presidential election change this?

(7 comments) SHARE        Monday, September 22, 2008
Secure Mortgages, Not Banks, Not Speculators! Bush and Paulson are proposing the reverse of what Democrats should agree to: instead of trying to stop the flow of reverse leverage from the end of the securitized chain of bad paper, Democrats should propose to bail out homeowners, since home mortgages represent the only real value in the chain. This would ensure homeowners keep their homes, secure financial instruments and would probably cost much less than $700 billion.