The Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 began another war between Israel and representatives of the Islamic world. This conflict goes all the way back to the 7th century when Muhammed began to attract followers in Mecca and Medina in what is today western Saudi Arabia. What makes this conflict a little different is…
Continue ReadingIs Ron DeSantis Right?
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida and the University System of Florida recently banned a student group called Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The pro-Palestinian group has shown solidarity with Hamas in its conflict with Israel. It has also been organizing anti-Israel protests at universities across the U.S. Is cancelling this group the correct approach?…
Continue ReadingWhy I am not an Atheist
Some of my favorite contemporary philosophers are self-proclaimed atheists. These include Peter Boghossian and James Lindsey. Their individual and combined work in dissecting modern American culture, illiberalism and anti-racism has been both welcome and refreshing. I’m a big fan of Boghossian’s Beyond Woke podcast and his Youtube videos. Peter Boghossian taught philosophy at Portland State…
Continue ReadingThe Politics of Drugs and Guns
I always enjoy discovering that a political party’s platform includes obvious contradictions. The most obvious is abortion v. capital punishment. The Republican base tends to be pro-life, but pro-capital punishment. The Democrat base tends to abhor capital punishment, but is staunchly pro-choice. Life is precious…sometimes. I’ve recently come to realize that positions on 2nd Amendment…
Continue ReadingShould Biden Be Impeached?
Peter Zeihan, one of my favorite podcasters, recently roasted Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, for holding up military promotions over his objections to a new military policy related to abortion care. Tuberville probably deserves the criticism he’s facing for that stubborn stance. However, Tuberville’s response to questions about…
Continue ReadingWhy AOC is right
I rarely agree with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her economic philosophies based in Marxist principles are antithetical to what I believe to be the better path to increasing wealth for all. Nonetheless, More Spock attempts to avoid the Halo-Horns effect. Meaning if a person you like is right about one thing, they are right about everything (Halo)…
Continue ReadingThe New Counter-Culture?
In a previous blog, Irony and Free Speech Movements, I noted that intolerance primarily came from the political right during the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, but over the past few decades, it has been the political left that has exhibited the most aggressive forms of intolerance. Lenny Bruce, Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson and…
Continue ReadingSome Thoughts on the Legacy of Slavery
Vice President Harris recently made headlines when she attacked Florida’s new history curriculum which included a single sentence in its Black history standards that has become controversial. It states that while enslaved, “slaves developed skills” they could use for their “personal benefit.” Harris responded by saying, “How is it that anyone could suggest that amidst…
Continue ReadingGenerationally Speaking
Kids today just don’t want to work. If you’re over 40, you’ve probably heard statements like this a million times. Perhaps you’ve said them yourself. If you’re over 70, you’ve probably been making statements like these for over 30 years. Every generation is seemingly lazier and less motivated than the previous one. An entire cottage…
Continue ReadingWhite Adjacent?
The recent Supreme Court ruling against Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s affirmative action admission processes has generated lots of backlash from people who embrace intersectionality and critical race theory, as one might expect. While reading reactions across the political spectrum, I’ve learned a new term that has apparently been used for a while…
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