Malignant Normality

We now live in a state of “malignant normality.” Lies, assertions, accusations, misinformation, and disinformation flow freely and routinely from the White House and from Fox News. They then get amplified by elected Republicans and through social media to a gullible public. The coronavirus pandemic is highlighting the danger of this situation. A few days … Read more

The False Religion of Capitalism

Marxism, at least as implemented in the failed former Soviet Union, was heavily criticized in the United States in 1950s and 60’s as “godless communism.” However, despite the efforts of the Soviet Communist Party to destroy religion by confiscating religious property, harassing, persecuting, even executing believers, and promoting atheism in the schools and in the … Read more

Show me the money!

On January 21,2010 the Supreme Court decided that “Political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, and the government may not keep corporations or unions from spending money to support or denounce individual candidates in elections.” This was the infamous “Citizens United” decision. People generally don’t know that the organization called … Read more

Can a corporation behave ethically?

The Business Roundtable is an “association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies” who claim to be “working to promote a thriving U.S. economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans through sound public policy.” In other words, it is a lobby group for billionaires. On August 19, 2019, the Business Roundtable issued a “Statement … Read more

Is Democracy Already Dead in the US?

We in the United States like to think that we live in a representative democracy. We are attracted to Lincoln’s optimistic idea that America stands for “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” We have been taught that, despite the wrangling that occurs, our political processes eventually result in government policies … Read more

Fiddling while the Earth Burns

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. (Revelation 8:7) The summer of 2018 brought an unprecedented number of wildfires, of unprecedented ferocity, across the entire planet. … Read more