ALCATRAZ ~ It is not that we have no choice. But to choose requires conscious awareness of the situation as well as the alternatives and some ideas about how to achieve them. Some folks have difficulty making decisions and would rather have someone in authority make decisions for us. I think it was Theodore Adorno, … More Due Process vs Dictatorship
The other day, the grandson of dear friends was gunned down, murdered in a drive by shooting in Albuquerque. He was a vibrant nineteen year old reaching out to a life to be led. Yesterday, another dear friend mentioned the continuing grief of the death of her twenty-something son by a hit and run driver … More Suffering and Death Do Not Become You.
I was never really comfortable with the conservative-liberal bifurcation of political thought or action. As a teenager, of course, I took exception to every political utterance my father offered. He was a staunch Republican who stood for absolute moral principles and standards of behavior, deviation from which could muster no excuse whatsoever. I was a … More Will the Real Conservative Please Stand up?
War is expensive, in human life, environmental degradation, and in its destruction of human values. Nevertheless, most nations do not hesitate to spend what they believe is necessary to either defend their territory or conquer that of another nation. In every case, ‘the other’ is defined as less than human. Costa Rica is the exception; … More Strategy and Tactics, Blood and Brutality
I sat spellbound the other night listening to Karim A.A. Khan, the Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal court, as he explained to Christiane Amanpour why he sought arrest warrants from the court for the leadership of both Israel and Hamas. His public announcement had listed the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by … More The Rational Man in a World of Hate
The diverse conspiracy theories, the denial of scientific knowledge, and the demands of an absolute individualism against the public interest, which have arisen lately, certainly give one pause for thought. The historical parallels to the rise of fascism are stunning. The ability of a president—who in no way represents the actual interests of the American … More Performing Fascism: It’s about Behavior, not Theory
The smart phone videos of cops harassing or beating unarmed Black males have exploded on social media. Newspaper articles discuss the various difficulties involved in prosecuting police for excessive force, murder, etc. Video pundits left and right proclaim or admit that something is just not right. They acknowledge that Black parents have to train their … More Ending Police Brutality: It’s Not That Simple
Robert MacNeil Christie, Author 