Reagan, Militarism, and Rock & Roll
Decades ago, I was in a rock bar in a working class suburb of Detroit. It was February 22, 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team was playing the Russian hockey team in a medal round of the International Olympics. As
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Political Violence
In the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, we have been subjected to the obligatory “violence in the political realm should never be tolerated” cliche, by the established press, political actors, and others. The statement is correct; violence
The Selling of Violence and World War
How did they sell us non-stop violence and possible world war? Who are “they”? The current era’s normalization of extreme violence is the result of decades of social conditioning which launched into high gear during the early 1980’s. We were
Falling Facades of Democracy and Freedom of Speech
The technological and economic machine has absorbed us into its veins. We are its lifeblood as both producers and consumers of its goods. The profit machine, which dictates the technological and economic framework, shapes our being within this framework. Our
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Consumption
Got stuck on the freeway during rush-hour traffic the other day. It was interesting to view the people in all kinds of cars which mostly looked the same. Undoubtedly, some commuters were frustrated at the sense of being yet another
Government
I believe in popularly elected government. Although it would be nice to not have government looking over our shoulders, there is no way the U.S. will achieve an adequate distribution of wealth and income without government oversight. Government is the
Pacifism, Idealism, & Tolstoy
Pacifists who work towards the total elimination of war are generally referred to as idealists: which is likely a way of saying they are naive. While most, within this group, would embrace the title “idealist”; most, likely, would reject the
Competition vs. Cooperation in a Nuclear World
Unless we develop a cooperative world, we can forget about any change in the status quo. We will continue our march towards war, we will be divided within: we will meet our destruction. This is a big task, however. The
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Deflation & Inflation: Labor’s Fate
(revised on 03/06/24) There is a lot of concern about deflationary pressures in China. Deflation exports itself to importing nations as these nations must then compete against lower priced Chinese goods. Inflation, not deflation, of course, is the current concern
The Human Toll of War
With the recent tragic deaths of three U.S. military personnel in Jordan, due to an attack by an alleged Iranian supported militia, U.S. politicians are pounding their chest while calling for an attack on Iran. By the time you read