Fsrcoin

MY BLOGS
-
The Rational Optimist
http://www.rationaloptimist.wordpress.com/
Commentary of Life, Society, Politics, and Philosophy
LATEST ARTICLES ( 1112 )
-
Introducing a Revolutionary Device to Save Civilization from Lies
Lies are as old as language. We once thought the internet would make us smarter, by providing access to a world of information. But it has weaponized... Read more
Posted on 04 July 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
The Trouble with This Country is . . .
Non-voting.I used to think bemoaning low voter turnouts was misguided. Because non-voters are the less engaged, less informed, not likely to enhance the... Read more
Posted on 02 July 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
“Servant of the People” on Netflix
Scrolling through Netflix, we stumbled on Servant of the People. A 2015 Ukrainian TV comedy series (with English subtitles).*Vasya is a young high school histor... Read more
Posted on 29 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Supreme Court Insanity
Just when the public is demanding, as never before, action to curb our gun violence epidemic, the Supreme Court does the opposite. Disallowing reasonable gun... Read more
Posted on 26 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Was Mike Pence a Hero? Is There Hope for America?
Now Mike Pence is called a hero — for shrinking back from the greatest crime in U.S. history. He’s credited with saving the country, which in a sense is actuall... Read more
Posted on 22 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Menthol Madness
A proposed FDA ban on menthol cigarettes is being hailed as a victory for health and civil rights advocates both. Because methols are particularly favored by... Read more
Posted on 20 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Ukraine: Half Measures and the Nuclear Threat
As a PSC staff lawyer, I got frustrated when an administrative law judge couldn’t make up his mind on a ruling. “It should be me up there!” I told myself. So I... Read more
Posted on 17 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
The Hearings: January 6, Trump, The Big Lie, and Democracy in Peril
Trump concocted his big “stolen election” lie because his sick psyche couldn’t face losing — and to help him overthrow democracy and retain office by coup. Read more
Posted on 14 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Alternatives to Capitalism?
Denounce “capitalism” or the market economy all you want – but what’s your alternative? This system was not foisted on us. Rather, it’s the natural paradigm... Read more
Posted on 12 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Hitler, Stalin, Mao . . . Putin . . .
Hitler, Stalin, Mao. The Big Three. Greatest monsters of the 20th Century. Or GOAT? Well, Genghis Khan; Tamerlane; Ivan the Terrible; and others. But such... Read more
Posted on 08 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Libertarianism: a Crazy Idea?
I’ve always considered myself basically libertarian. Recently I read Libertarianism: A Primer, by David Boaz. Published in 1997 — it might seem an artifact... Read more
Posted on 05 June 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Obituaries
Frank Spath was my one and only client in my legal career.When I came to Albany in 1970 as a young lawyer, working for a state agency, I lived in a room (not... Read more
Posted on 31 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Biden Should Not Run Again
I supported Biden from the start in 2020, strongly, as the candidate best positioned to save the country. I think events bore out that judgment, and I don’t... Read more
Posted on 27 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Ode to Joy
My wife and I visited the Benelux countries — our much anticipated first foreign trip in 2-1/2 years. My biggest takeaway impression: a civilization whose main... Read more
Posted on 24 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Replacement Theory — Let’s Do It
The “Great Replacement Theory” is yet one more thing making Republicans the Party of Crazy. A recent poll showed a third of Americans are drinking this Kool-Aid. Read more
Posted on 20 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Trillions and Trillions
No, this is not about government spending. It’s galaxies.PBS’s “Nova” science series recently had a program about the universe, with casual mention of... Read more
Posted on 17 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Republicans and the “Grooming” Lie
The word “grooming” has exploded into our culture wars, a cudgel for the right to bash Democrats. The word has been used to describe a sexual predator (usually ... Read more
Posted on 07 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Michelle Obama’s Memoir, “Becoming”
As is typical for me with such books, I was far more engaged with the story of Michelle Obama’s early life, when she was an ordinary normal person, than with th... Read more
Posted on 05 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
NY High Court Ruling May Doom America
The backstory: In 2014 Governor Andrew Cuomo pushed through a constitutional amendment supposedly ending gerrymandering. This involves legislative district maps... Read more
Posted on 01 May 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Hell of a Book
— that’s the title — by Jason Mott — is actually two different novels coexisting uneasily within one cover.One is a semi-comical first-person account of the... Read more
Posted on 28 April 2022 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY