his isn't our first rodeo. The United States has suffered oligarchy before. There have been two periods of oligarchic domination prior to this current episode. The country has endured regional oligarchic conditions of course: some southern and mid-Atlantic founding colonies were home to a landed, slave-owning aristocracy. Old money dynasties have dominated … [Read more...]
i. American Oligarchy, Now
To defeat it, we must name the enemy, and its name is oligarchy
he United States is an oligarchy. We all know it. We stretch our vocabularies to avoid calling it that. Such verbal contortions abound: it’s the special interests influencing Washington. Progressives: it’s the billionaires! Nativists: it’s the Davos class! Left and right (together): globalization! The Establishment! Everybody grumbles about “money in politics,” even those … [Read more...]
29 Ways Climate Change Could Totally Mess Up Your Travel Plans…And 5 Travel Hacks to Get You Through It
The effects of climate change are growing everyday and will probably screw up a lot of people’s travel plans. For your convenience, below is a list of 29 #climateproblems that could make your vacation a bit less fun! Enjoy! 1) More poison ivy and poison oak. Climate change is accelerating growth of these poisonous plants. Incessant itchiness can take a vacation from fun to … [Read more...]
Cost of Democracy
Fair or Unfair, High Wealth Taxation is Necessary for a Functional Market Economy and Democracy
t the heart of the debate on taxation is the question of whether it is fair or unfair to heavily tax extreme wealth. The fact is, it does not matter. We must reinvest most of the money currently held by the wealthiest Americans into public revenue. We need to do this in order for our country, economy, and democracy to function. No country can maintain a functional economy or … [Read more...]
Protecting Science and Public Health
In the Trump Era, Citizens Need to Defend Science and Health Research
cience welcomes skepticism. It also welcomes dissent and criticism. Before being published, new scientific ideas go through layers of review by people who are experts in the field. Old ideas aren’t safe either. Researchers can build their careers on challenging commonly held assumptions. But when convincing, rigorous evidence and theory accumulates, it should be considered … [Read more...]