Politics & War

The Cross

Come on, atheists. You’re protesting a cross in the 9/11 Museum? I know you don’t believe God can hear you, but you realize the rest of us can, right?

— Stephen Colbert in his opening routine, March 10th

Colbert had some fun at the expense of David Silverman and American Atheists, the non-profit Silverman runs. American Atheists filed a lawsuit to have a steel cross that was cut from the wreckage at Ground Zero removed from the memorial on site. The lawsuit stems from the fact that the site is public property owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the memorial receives public funding. The case is hardly cut and dry, though. If it were, there would be little argument. The cross has no business in a public facility, as its mere presence is an endorsement of religion. There are plans for the site to include other religious symbols, as well, but none on the scale and prominence of the cross. Continue reading “The Cross”

Being Watched

In public spaces in the United States, there is no expectation of privacy (with some caveats, of course). Conversations we have, things we do, while out in the wide-open spaces under the sky are free to be observed and recorded by anyone watching. That’s a little creepy, but something we have grown accustomed to over the years, as security cameras have become ubiquitous. Continue reading “Being Watched”

Why Just Pot?

With Washington and Colorado leading the charge with marijuana legalization, it seems like not a day goes by that there is some story in the press about another state considering some form of legalization. New York, Tennessee, Arizona, Florida, Maine, Oregon, Alaska, Massachusetts — the list keeps growing. Now that Washington and Colorado have broken the ice, and polls show that the issue is no longer toxic for politicians to have nuanced, reasoned positions on, reform seems to be unstoppable. If that is the case, then good. Marijuana prohibition has been one of the most stupid, costliest set of laws this country has ever had. But, if keeping marijuana illegal is such a bad idea, what about other drugs, like heroin or LSD? If legalization of marijuana recognizes that using the drug is a personal choice that government has no business prohibiting, then why not end prohibition for all illegal drugs? Continue reading “Why Just Pot?”

Voting Rights

This past week, a state judge in Pennsylvania issued a ruling invalidating the state’s voter ID law, saying that the law does not further the goal of assuring free and fair elections. The judge, Bernard L. McGinley, is absolutely right. The Pennsylvania law, like many others that have been passed, proposed, or failed to pass throughout the country, are not designed to deter voter fraud. They are designed to make it harder for certain demographics that reliably vote for candidates from the Democratic Party to vote. Continue reading “Voting Rights”

The Great Pot Experiment

It is now legal to buy and sell cannabis in Colorado. The gradual legalization of pot that began with the medical marijuana movement has moved into its next stage. The goal has always been legalization, and now that the drug has gained widespread, though not universal, acceptance, it is good that states like Colorado and soon Washington are acting as laboratories, showing the rest of the country how legalization works. Continue reading “The Great Pot Experiment”

Cocksuckers Ball: Finally, Some Good News

The Senate has gone nuclear. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Today, the Senate voted 52-48 to no longer allow filibusters to block the nominations of cabinet nominees and federal judges (though not Supreme Court Justices). A simple majority rules vote, this has been referred to as the ‘nuclear option’ because political rhetoric is a broken mess. But, using the option is very disruptive. As the New York Times put it, this vote represents “the most fundamental shift in the way the Senate functions in more than a generation.” Continue reading “Cocksuckers Ball: Finally, Some Good News”

Cocksuckers Ball: Constitutional Crisis

They almost did it. The Republicans almost plunged not just the United States, but the world, into economic chaos because they don’t want people to be able to purchase affordable health insurance. The deal announced today in Congress will reopen the shuttered government, and raise the debt ceiling for the next couple of months, without gutting the Affordable Care Act. That’s good, but the crisis in Washington is not over. That’s not just because today’s deal is only a short-term solution, destined to become a fight once more around Christmas. Or because this type of government-by-crisis seems to be the new normal. Rather, it’s because, after over 200 years of Constitutional governance, an extreme minority of one party has found a way to manipulate the lawful actions of Congress to shut down the government and threaten world stability because it disagrees with settled law. This is a big deal, because it means that the way in which we govern has been shown to be fundamentally flawed. That is the very definition of a Constitutional crisis. Continue reading “Cocksuckers Ball: Constitutional Crisis”

The Potomac Vortex

Politics is disheartening to follow, and spiritually draining to care about, because it never ends. Like professional wrestling, no conflict ever has resolution, because the lifeblood of the activity is keeping viewers engaged. In the case of politics, it’s the voters. American voters are the American public, and decades of the entertainment industry have taught politicians (and the news media that exist in a symbiotic relationship with politics) how to raise hackles among the electorate, thus today’s politics is wrought with drama. Continue reading “The Potomac Vortex”

I’m Glad It’s Not My Decision

Ten years ago, the United States started a war against Iraq on false pretenses. The Bush administration lied about and manipulated intelligence to convince the American public that Saddam Hussein’s regime had weapons of mass destruction (chemical weapons), and was actively trying to attain others (nuclear weapons). What boggles the mind is that, in the runup to that war in 2002-2003, it was transparently obvious to anyone paying attention (or not blinded by the cult of Neoconservatism) that the Bush administration was manufacturing its justifications for war. The result we’ve become all-too familiar with: a protracted war which we did not win, drained the Treasury, and cost the lives of over a hundred thousand people. Continue reading “I’m Glad It’s Not My Decision”