Category: Politics

The institutional practice of allocating power within a society, which generally includes the assignment and exercise of authority [legitimate power] by various means, including violence.

Keepers of the Oath: Honor Confronts Trumpery

October 7, 2019

DISCLAIMER: This essay does not refer to “The Oath Keepers,” the extremist “anti-government American far-right organization associated with the white supremacy and militia movements.” Those who keep their oath to defend the U.S. Constitution by becoming whistleblowers in the era of Trumpery are the heroes referenced here. Most Americans have complained about the “faceless bureaucrats“ … More Keepers of the Oath: Honor Confronts Trumpery

Trump, the Manchurian President: Culture Jam from Far Away

September 17, 2019

Remember the 1962 movie, The Manchurian Candidate based on Richard Condon’s 1959 novel? There was a remake in 2004, with Denzel Washington playing the man who knows something is wrong about the presidency. A slick candidate for the U.S. presidency has been “brainwashed” to do the bidding of a foreign power. The inevitable struggle between good and evil … More Trump, the Manchurian President: Culture Jam from Far Away

The Medical Insurance Scam and the Candidates’ Cowardice

August 5, 2019

Healthcare insurance is not a difficult concept to understand. However, if we use the Democratic presidential candidates’ bickering over the details of their so-called “plans” as a measure, we only get confused. Their fallback on Republican talking points in the recent “debates” was both disgusting and counter-productive. Obfuscation of the obvious would seem to be … More The Medical Insurance Scam and the Candidates’ Cowardice

Earth Manifesto, any time soon?

July 30, 2019

The idea of an Earth Manifesto reaches way beyond “normal politics.” The pressures that diverse interest groups place on democratic institutions drive politics. Right? Well, that is what the power elites that dominate political institutions have claimed for a long time. Nevertheless, politicians feel the power of great wealth and giant corporations every day. The … More Earth Manifesto, any time soon?

Institutions are as Good as the People Running Them

July 23, 2019

Most of us most of the time envision public institutions as fixed objects, occupied by people who manage and perform their functions for the benefit of the people. When those who the people have entrusted with the authority to lead institutions to achieve their mission, believe in the institutions they oversee, such assumptions pretty much … More Institutions are as Good as the People Running Them

Ecological Community and Rights of Nature vs the Technosphere

July 18, 2019

Thomas Linzey won a lot of lawsuits over corporations impinging on local communities with giant projects that would destroy local ecosystems and make life miserable for residents. He discovered that the corporations would simply re-apply for zoning permits, countering the factors Linzey used to win the lawsuits. Linzey began to realize that his efforts as … More Ecological Community and Rights of Nature vs the Technosphere