EARTH ISN’T FINE TUNED
People who claim that Earth was designed by a deity just for the benefit of humans are looking at that concept the wrong way around. Roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. The Earth is surrounded by the vacuum of space. Humans can only live naturally on 30% of the planet. Without specialized equipment, humans cannot live in the ocean, humans cannot live in space. In addition, Earth has earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, floods, landslides, volcanoes, and climate changes.
Read moreNOTHING TO SEE HERE...
Trump’s indictment, and those to come, are welcome distractions. They are allowing us to ignore for even a few moments that there are rich and powerful forces determined to undermine our democratic republic, as imperfect as it may be, and substitute for it a theocratic fascist state. They’re distracting us from the imminent danger our entire planet faces due to our terrible stewardship and our unbridled capitalism. The band’s still playing but the ship is sinking.
Read moreCOMPLACENCY COULD KILL US
I guess climate change, growing fascism, and social inequality can be depressing, but it’s reality. If we let it overwhelm us to the point of denial we’ll never find a solution if there is one. No one (outside religion) ever promised us that life would always be easy and humanity’s future is assured. We could easily go the way of the dinosaurs, and much sooner, if we ignore all that’s going on.
Read moreWE NEED A REVOLUTION
Saving America going to take a revolution. Not necessarily a violent revolution, but a complete rethinking of capitalism and democracy. We’re seeing the limits of both systems in providing us with an equitable society and a sustainable planet. It isn’t feasible to think we can continue down this same road and not fall off the cliff at the end of it, which is just around the next corner.
Read moreTHE 1% DECIDES HOW THE 99% WILL LIVE
I can’t believe we progressives will ever attain our goals for a just and equitable society as long as the people making policy decisions are wealthy people who have never had to deal with the problems facing the non-wealthy. What interest do they have in Social Security when they’ll never need it? What interest do they have in providing health care when they can always afford it? What interest do they have in the minimum wage when they’ve never had to live on it?
Read moreTOO MUCH DATA
When you think about it, which is what I’ve been doing today, there’s a single attribute the Internet shares with the NSA. They both harvest a gazillion bits and bytes every hour. Electronic storage capacities are constantly increasing. Think about filling every inch of your house with sealed envelopes containing a note. Some of those notes are worthless, recipes or cartoons. But some are important, and some are vital to your survival.
Read moreGUNS, PT. 2
More people with more guns quickly lead to fewer people. Guns can’t die like a child. A rifle from the civil war could still easily kill. Find a car that lasts that long. We cherish the presumed right to kill each other. It’s a bizarre point of pride.
Read moreGUNS, PT. 1
Once upon a time there were more people than guns. But then more people bought more guns to protect themselves from all the other people with guns. It’s between an addiction and a fetish. I don’t support unrestricted gun ownership. License, registration, and proof of insurance. Cops ask for that on every traffic stop.
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