There have been counter-culture movements of one kind or another in the U.S. since at least the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. This rapid industrialization lead to population gains in major urban areas like New York, Chicago and Detroit as workers moved there in search of factory jobs. This urban growth…
Continue ReadingRepublicans’ Achilles Heel
Most prognosticators are predicting a red wave during the upcoming mid-term elections. Reality is setting in with many Americans that Democratic policies that sounded good during the 2020 election, particularly in the environment of Trump fatigue, aren’t as great and equitable as they sounded. Here are a few examples of policies that are driving voters…
Continue ReadingCorporate Boards and CEO Pay
Readers of More Spock know that examining ways to reduce the wealth gap is one of my interests. I recently saw a headline that shared the CEO of a large bank received a 19% pay raise in 2021. I’d bet a substantial sum that there are policies at that bank that make it virtually impossible…
Continue ReadingLogic and the Ketanji Brown Jackson Hearings
I enjoyed reading coverage of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings. For the record, I feel she should be confirmed. She’s well-qualified. Her positions may not satisfy all sides, but in our system, the President gets to nominate the successor when a supreme court justice seat becomes available. I believe those justices should generally be confirmed…
Continue ReadingWhat Do Bush and Biden Have in Common?
George W. Bush was president from 2001-2008. Near the end of his second term, a crisis hit the financial markets, linked largely to concern about risk associated with mortgage-backed securities. This panic lead to the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Joe Biden was inaugurated in 2021 and is facing a similar financial crisis. This time it’s…
Continue ReadingThe Environment Conundrum
Of all the political topics, the environment is perhaps the one that is the most challenging for a person trying to utilize logic and pragmatism in analyzing options and choosing a policy platform to support. The position of the “green” wing of the political spectrum is that the earth is warming at an alarming rate…
Continue ReadingThe Narcissism of the 1619 Movement
Whoopi Goldberg made headlines recently when she stated that the holocaust was a terrible event, but not an example of racism. Joy Behar, who rarely disagrees with Whoopi, pushed back that the Nazi’s certainly felt that it was a race-based decision – pointing out that they publicly pushed the narrative that Jews were an inferior…
Continue ReadingLogic, Hate Crimes and Microagressions
Title 1 of the Civil Rights Act passed in 1968 and included provisions against willfully injuring or intimidating an individual based on their race, religion, color, etc. As personal and group identity has become more and more important in the national discourse over the past 50 years, it’s not surprising that the definition of hate…
Continue ReadingWhich Party Gets It Right?
CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart recently told Brian Stelter that “from the very first briefing the Trump spokespeople lied, they lied every day…” followed by, “Jen Psaki is in there telling the truth…” This is a classic example of illogical party loyalty. An impartial observer would find that Jen Psaki, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, et al…
Continue ReadingA Few Pet Peeves
I know the premise of More Spock is to use logic rather than emotion in analyzing societal issues, but I am human and I have my own pet peeves. Here are four of mine – feel free to share yours. People who abuse handicapped parking spaces. Once I was driving my father in his car…
Continue Reading