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MY BLOGS
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The Rational Optimist
http://www.rationaloptimist.wordpress.com/
Commentary of Life, Society, Politics, and Philosophy
LATEST ARTICLES ( 1455 )
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The Dreamers’ Nightmare
The Senate has failed to rescue the “dreamers” — young people brought here as children, without legal status. A big majority of Americans favor such legislation... Read more
Posted on 19 February 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Being and Nothingness: How the Brain Creates Mind and Self
Phineas Gage was a big name in brain science. Not a scientist — but a railroad construction foreman. Until in 1848 an accidental explosion rammed a three-foot... Read more
Posted on 14 February 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Chris Gibson Thinks We Can Put America Right
He calls himself an optimist. He believes we’re on the wrong track, but can fix it.After a 29 year military career, Chris Gibson won a New York congressional... Read more
Posted on 11 February 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
God and the Super Bowl
My local paper’s “Voices of Faith” column, on Super Bowl weekend, was authored by Richard John Mouw, “professor of faith and public life” at a California... Read more
Posted on 08 February 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
America’s Democratic Voting Threatened
Trump’s “election fraud” commission was aimed at justifying Republican efforts to keep Democrats from voting. The commission’s ignominious demise doesn’t end... Read more
Posted on 06 February 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Upgrading to Humanity 2.0
Tech guru Ray Kurzweil called it “The Singularity” – when artificial intelligence outstrips human intelligence – and starts operating on its own. Then everythin... Read more
Posted on 04 February 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Believing Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast
NunesThe House Intelligence Committee voted for releasing the memo by its Chairman, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, attacking the FBI and Department of Justice —... Read more
Posted on 02 February 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Trump’s Wall of Caca, and DACA
First he lied that Mexico would pay for it. Now he wants $25 billion from U.S. taxpayers as a down-payment on his border wall.The other night on TV I saw a row... Read more
Posted on 30 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Conservatism and Elephants
(This appeared as a commentary in the January 24 Albany Times-Union)I used to call myself a conservative. The left/right divide originated in the French... Read more
Posted on 28 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
China’s Culture of Corruption
We keep hearing how corrupt the U.S. political system is; this fueled the Sanders and Trump revolts. And the problem is real. It’s mainly that political... Read more
Posted on 25 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Why We Need a Free Press
My local paper, the Times-Union, has a terrific columnist, Chris Churchill.* Recently he wrote about the Edson Thevenin case.Thevenin was driving drunk and... Read more
Posted on 23 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Albany Women’s March Against Trump
I went to the local women’s march, at the state capitol. Didn’t relish standing in the cold for two hours during speeches (note to self: next time, double... Read more
Posted on 21 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Another Normal Day in the United States of Trump
A “government shutdown” is when the government can’t pay employees for working, so instead pays them for not working.That’s the reality. Read more
Posted on 20 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
A Nation of Losers
America has long been embroiled in cultural and ideological wars, which if anything are intensifying. So — who’s winning? Nobody, if you listen to either side. Read more
Posted on 19 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Of Babies and Bathwater
Libertarians tend to be skeptical toward government because it too often uses sledgehammers to kill ants, throws babies out with bathwater, and punishes the man... Read more
Posted on 16 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
BREAKING NEWS: Trump Shoots Woman on 5th Ave
(Associated Press) — President Donald Trump shot a woman on New York’s Fifth Avenue last night. The woman, whose name has not been released, was shot in the foo... Read more
Posted on 13 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Idiocracy: The Death of Expertise
Our pockets hold a device to access all the information in the world. We use it to view cat videos. And while the sum of human knowledge grows hyperbolically,... Read more
Posted on 09 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Paul Auster: Travels in the Scriptorium, The Prisoner of Time, and a Bar Joke
I first read a book by Paul Auster mainly because I’d met his ex-wife (Lydia Davis). But that book, The New York Trilogy, which I’ve reviewed, was great. So the... Read more
Posted on 06 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
I Applaud President Trump!!
President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order yesterday for which I stand up and cheer!His order disbanded the “Voter Fraud Commission” he’d set up at... Read more
Posted on 04 January 2018 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY -
The Mueller Investigation Scandal
The Kremlin has warned the U.S. against meddling in Russia’s presidential election. (Or its rigging; chief Putin opponent and recent acid attack victim Navalny... Read more
Posted on 31 December 2017 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY
