It pains me to use my precious column space to provide basic civics lessons, but it seems that most Americans need them. Since my February article “Three Unequal Branches of Government?” I have asked everybody I meet if they know that there is just one primary branch of government. Not one knew that. When asked […]
The left used to want tariffs on imports to protect American union jobs. Now it is the far right MAGA that wants tariffs. Why? Trump had no economic policy until he asked Jared Kushner for one. Jared searched on Amazon for a cool book title Death by China. Co-author Peter Navarro cited expert Ron Vara […]
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Many Americans feel that the country is headed in the wrong direction. They feel they spend more and get less. Many factors feed this sense but here I want to focus on a nearly 60-year-old idea from late economist William Baumol called “Cost Disease.” There was rage in this recent election about inflation. But inflation […]
Before Trump, many thought that Nixon was our worst president. Nixon lied strategically about starting a war that destroyed the idyllic country of Cambodia. He sabotaged the peace deal to end the U.S. war in Vietnam when Johnson was president. He used the IRS, FBI and CIA against people he didn’t like. He lied to […]
Democrats lost in 2024 because they supposedly didn’t have the right message. Canadian philosophy professor Joseph Heath offers the message Americans are waiting for. Ever since the New Deal, Democrats have been the party of large-scale improvements: rural electrification, Social Security and Medicare and promises of true universal health care, high speed rail, green energy […]
Have you heard the one about taxpayers funding a $3 million shrimp treadmill? It is a brain virus spreading through the MAGA world – to validate the utterly lawless vandalism of our government by Trump and his unconstitutionally appointed hit man Musk. MAGA people apparently never heard of “Google,” which when prompted yields the real […]
“It Ain’t What You Don’t Know that Gets You into Trouble. It’s What You Know for Sure that Just Ain’t So.” Do you remember “learning” that the U.S. has three equal branches of government? Well, you may “know” that, but it is wrong. Under the collective alias “Publius,” Father of the Constitution James Madison – […]
Rounding up millions of longtime residents, placing them in detention, and deporting them. Where have we heard this before? If you are not outraged by Trump targeting long-time immigrants, then you are not paying attention. Jews lived “undocumented” in limbo in Germany for centuries. Until they were granted citizenship in 1871. And had it taken […]
The recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson raises several Big Questions. Under his leadership, UnitedHealthcare’s profits increased from $12 billion in 2021 to $16 billion in 2023. At the time of his death, the company was the largest health insurer in the United States. One way their profits soared? Denial of payment for lack […]
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I recently participated in an all-day conference on prisons and recovery, co-sponsored by the Humanist Society of Santa Barbara. One recurring theme? The ACE score: Adverse Childhood Experiences. Here is a simplified list of ten such adverse childhood experiences: Physical abuseEmotional abusePhysical neglectEmotional neglectSexual abuseViolence toward motherSubstance abuse in householdHousehold mental illnessHousehold member incarceratedParental separation […]
You have probably heard of educator Salman Khan and his Khan Academy. I recently attended a talk he gave for UCSB. Khan had been a hedge fund analyst. A good family man, he wanted to help his cousin Nadya with her math back in 2004. He tutored her over the phone and was able to […]
There is no single explanation for the popularity of Trump. But one thread is that he can “get stuff [sh-t] done.” Supporters (MAGAs) don’t care about his long history of cheating people out of their money, his talk of “grabbing pussies”, or even that he violently tried to overthrow an election. “He gets stuff done.” […]
Reflecting on this election involves both Big Questions and smaller thoughts. Some of my friends offer conspiracies of how the election was rigged. For weeks we knew that this election was too close to call. Statistician Nate Silver predicted the election had a 40% chance of being a blowout for either side. In short: I […]
Almost five years ago I was honored to be hired by MoJo CEO and Executive Editor Gwyn Lurie. “What is Truth?” was her recommendation for my first article. Neuroscientist/podcaster Sam Harris raised a related point: “There are an infinite number of facts one could choose to focus on. And the act of focusing changes how […]
