planning

Both Democratic and Republican American political leaders have taken a ‘tough on immigration’ stance over the past 20 years. In part they are responding to constituents. Both voters and leaders are engaged in a misguided attempt to prevent terrorism in the U.S through increased immigration restriction. One reason that it is misguided is that most […]

My my parents are retired healthcare practitioners, who have long opposed a universal healthcare system. So I am familiar with the doctors’ side of the story on healthcare, which is reflected in the American Medical Association’s longstanding opposition to the idea of healthcare as a basic right. However, the policy of the AMA is beginning

You might think, from the title of this post, that it will be about violent video games. Actually it is kind of the opposite: it is about dramas that are ostensibly escapist, but actually engage in real warfare. What provoked me to write this essay is episode 12 of season 2 of The Orville, entitled

A year ago I posted about my enthusiasm for Seth MacFarlane’s show the Orville. I have just watched Season 2, Episode 8: “Identity, Part 1”. If you have not seen the episode yet, I highly recommend that you do so. This posting includes spoliers. ** Spoiler Alert ** In my previous post I described the

The one thing that will make American football continue to have relevance is when all players, on both teams, led by their quarterbacks, take the knee during the singing of our National Anthem. Taking the knee, a practice of soldiers honoring their fallen comrades, is an act of respect. Taking the knee during the Anthem

One of the challenges of a fragmented, partisan, hostile political landscape is to get reliable insight into conversations you disagree with. Recently, we have discovered that Russian agencies are seeking to amplify social division in the U.S. However it is unfair to (only) blame the Russian government: they are amplifying something that is already here.

This is a weird post. But it needs to be said, publicly: Republican leaders need to challenge President Trump, and if necessary, impeach him and remove him from office. Why? In order to restore some credibility for the Republican party for future generations. The Unites States needs at least two credible political parties to struggle

The candidacy of Bernie Sanders in 2016 and the election of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018 have demonstrated that Americans are reconsidering Socialism carefully, and that Socialist candidates can get elected. The problem for Americans is that Socialism is an ambiguous term. It can mean political economies ranging from Denmark and Sweden to the USSR and

Note: this Amendment was drafted by some friends of mine. I like it, and believe it deserves wide consideration. I will comment on it below the text. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT XXVIII: “Rights of the People” Section 1 The Federal Government shall mandate and provide free, universal, “single payer” healthcare to any and all US citizens, or permanent residents,

For security reasons I do not specify the dates and times of my travel to and from Afghanistan. However at this point my official duties to the Afghan government are over, and I am back in California for the long term. This is an important time for both places: both struggling with housing crises. Both