This is something I wrote about the shutdown. I didn’t post it at the time because I was so annoyed with everything having to do with the shutdown that my own piece annoyed me. Now that the shutdown is over, at least temporarily, I figured I’d put it out there. I think the point still…
We haven’t spent a lot of time on this blog talking about Trump. I can’t speak for Jamil, but in my case, there are plenty of reasons why I don’t write much about him. The primary reason is that I find Trump detestable and repulsive. I’d rather write about things I like than things I…
A new Gallup poll was published (hey, look at that, just in time for the fourth of July) that says that American patriotism has hit a record low. That’s really no surprise. Most Americans do not support Trump and are rightly embarrassed by his administration. It’s hard to be proud of something that’s an active…
President Trump and French President Macron had a meeting and a joint press conference followed by this presidency’s first state dinner. That is such a normal thing that it’s barely worth a comment. Two heads of state get together, discuss things, tell the press about it and have a fancy party. It happens all the…
In the Republic, Plato sets out to answer the question, “What is justice?” Along the way, Socrates* and his interlocutors raise the question of who leads the more pleasant life, the just or the unjust. They bring it to extremes. They assume that the unjust person gets away with it, so to speak. People don’t…
As of January 20, 2017, Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America. To say I’m scared is an understatement. I’m terrified. Our country has had stupid presidents. We’ve had incompetent presidents. We’ve had evil presidents. This is the first time we’ve had all three in one president. That would be bad enough,…
There’s a great scene in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where our heroes (Captain Sisko and his officers) are battling the villains (the Jem’Hadar), and offer them the chance to surrender: That phrase, “The order of things,” has stuck with me since I first watched this episode all the way back in 1997. For the Jem’Hadar,…
It’s so easy to denounce Trump supporters as rabid racists and misogynists. Yet more Hispanic voters cast ballots for Donald Trump than Mitt Romney, despite his anti-Mexican rhetoric. More white women voted for Trump than Hillary Clinton, despite his “Grab them by the pussy” comment. On the left, we continue to ask why. Why are these…
The second Presidential debate is tonight and I implore you, please do not watch it. There is literally nothing to be gained by watching. But, that’s true of every presidential debate. This debate is different, though. There is a moral obligation to avoid watching tonight. You see, there is simply no debate about who you should vote…
Apparently, I’ve been living in a fantasy world lately. The fantasy that I want to share this time is quite unrealistic. It is like hoping that we elect a wise unicorn to the presidency. It simply cannot happen. So, if I were getting paid to philosophize, I’d call this a thought experiment. But, since no…
