We've just celebrated our 234th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. There's nothing wrong with a good holiday, a little beer, one hot dog too many, and some fireworks to help it all settle in. Yes, freedom is a good thing.FDR spoke about "four essential freedoms" on January 6, 1941, naming 1) freedom of speech and expression; 2) freedom of every person to worship in his own way; 3) … [Read more...]
Discrimination: Alive and Well
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Let's just suppose that an organization existed that didn't permit gays or atheists to join. Regardless of whatever good qualities this organization might have, would it be worthy of a formal legislative commendation?A couple of Inland Empire politicians see nothing wrong with legitimizing this insidious form of discrimination. Assemblyman Curt Hagman and would-be assemblyman Mike Morrell have … [Read more...]
Fight Them Over There, Not Here?
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The attempted terrorist bombing by Faisal Shahzad in New York City May 1, 2010, conclusively disproves the theory that "if we fight them over there, we won't have to fight them over here."The truth is, apparently, that fighting them over there has little or nothing to do with fighting them over here. All of our efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, now spanning about eight years (twice … [Read more...]
How Many is “Too Many”?
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I've always loved numbers. As a boy, I was well aware that a batting average of .400 (4 hits in every 10 official at-bats) was almost unattainable, even by the best major league stars. The incredible Hank Aaron never ended a season with anything higher than .355.Following are a few other statistics. Should we be worried, or is this the best our economic and political systems can do? (In other … [Read more...]
Alert! George Will Speaks the Truth (Sometimes)
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Read carefully between the lines of the typical conservative invective, and you find that George Will actually believes a few things that are accurate.First, he believes that a Value Added Tax has merit, at least under certain conditions. (He doesn't mention that all members of the European Union -- including (gasp!) France!! -- have a VAT. There's only so much truth the average Will reader … [Read more...]
Buy Stocks and Enter Coal Mines at Your Own Risk
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I dislike repeating the same old themes. But when they slap you in the face, it's difficult to ignore.By now, everyone who reads this article is all too familiar with the fact that 25 miners lost their lives in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch location of the Massey Energy Company. They also know that the mine has a record of safety violations distinguished by frequency, potentially … [Read more...]
Stock Ownership: Theory vs. Reality
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"Own a piece of the American Dream!"That, essentially, is the philosophical argument for including stocks in your portfolio. "Earn a good return on your investment!" That is the financial argument for including stocks in your portfolio.While there may be some merit to both points, especially #2, I think the stockholder is being shortchanged in significant ways. … [Read more...]
Unemployment? Or Unwillingness to Pay for Services?
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Once again the daily newspaper provides important policy information, if you read carefully and connect the dots.On Wednesday, March 3, the Los Angeles Times carried a front page story describing the lack of quality control and discipline in the county probation department -- because there are "too many cases and not enough staff." As a consequence, juveniles under the department's supervision … [Read more...]
Education, Texas Style
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I've written fiction -- but I wouldn't dare make up stuff like this.According to the New York Times (March 11, page A18, and a follow-up article on March 13), conservatives on the Texas board of education are re-writing the social services curriculum in a manner more to their liking.Ralph Nader -- and presumably therefore the entire automobile safety and consumer protection movement that … [Read more...]
Good News on Bullying
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Every now and then the newspaper contains good news. Such was the case this past Thursday, when the Los Angeles Times carried an article with the headline "Fewer children bullied or beaten up" (page A16).A study funded by the Justice Department (our tax dollars at work, in a useful way!) and published recently in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine revealed a significant … [Read more...]
Balancing Altruism and Self-Interest in Government
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No doubt some of the "conservatives" (for lack of a better label -- generally I dislike labels as oversimplifications) who read my articles feel that I spend too much energy denigrating our society. I can almost hear them say "If you love Denmark so much, why don't you move there?"The truth is that I'm a patriotic American. Many wonderful things happen here, due in large measure to … [Read more...]
Worker Rights: An International Covenant?
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The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), a multilateral treaty promoted by the United Nations, commits its parties to work toward stated objectives for all its citizens. As of December 8th, 160 countries had ratified it. Not us. The United States has "signed," but the Senate has never ratified.Part III, Article 6, of the ICESCR says that the parties … [Read more...]
US Political Process Haunted by Paralysis
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A phenomenon is haunting the United States of America -- the phenomenon of paralysis.Talk about a "job killer" (as chambers of commerce inevitably describe every bill that would increase regulation and/or reduce profit) -- this phenomenon is a potential "country killer," potentially devastating industry and its workers alike.You think I'm exaggerating? No less a luminary that Nobel Prize … [Read more...]
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Putting the Brakes on the Corporate Model
Syndicated columnist and Fox News commentator Cal Thomas wrote a provocative and surprising article that appeared March 3, 2010, in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. The headline reads "Toyota's troubles stem from choosing profit over quality," and Thomas unabashedly recommends embracing excellence over short-term profits.It is a measure of how far removed this country is from the culture … [Read more...]