Category: News and Politics
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Consumer boycotts are working
This post was updated on February 8 after Nordstrom dropped the Trump product line and share price rebounded by 5 percent. Uber also abandoned support for the administration last week and donated $1 million to the resistance movement. Consumer boycotts seem to be picking up more steam this week against a handful of companies like Amazon, Yuengling,…
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Civil protest is always ugly and sometimes deadly
Civil disobedience is ugly and inefficient. It is uncomfortable, costs us property and sometimes even lives. But civil protest is by far the most powerful force that exists in society. Certainly the United States would not exist today as a nation if small groups of drunken colonialists had not engaged in shameful behavior of…
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New approach to break the health care reform impasse
Patient Freedom Act of 2017 A new bill to break the health care impasse is introduced today. WSJ reports “Sen. Collins, a Maine Republican, will answer that question publicly Monday when she introduces a bill with Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy aimed at breaking the party’s logjam over the repeal of the Affordable Care Act…
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Propaganda tools
A commenter wrote “the NY Times is basically the propaganda arm of the Democratic party, in the same way Fox news is the propaganda arm of the Republican party“. I see it quite differently: Science, data, educational institutions , intellectuals, and investigative journalism are all part of the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. Religion,…
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The real reason why San Francisco is a great place to live
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently passed a resolution, introduced by Board President London Breed, in response to the election of Donald Trump. The resolution reads as follows: WHEREAS, On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump was elected to become the 45th President of the United States; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That no…
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Day 1: Screw working class homeowners
It’s really hard for me to believe this is tonight’s business news and not a science fiction story but apparently the first three actions in the Trump White House were apparently to: 1) remove scientific data about climate change from the government’s web site, 2) remove online information defending equal rights for minorities, and 3)…
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Support for immigration reform
I am committed to support the right of individuals to travel freely across political borders. The U.S. Constitution ensures equal representation for all individuals living in the United States, regardless of immigration status. Noncitizens lack the right to vote in federal elections but they have the right to have their voices heard by their representatives…
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Health care reform in a nutshell
It doesn’t matter whether we call it the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, or Trumpcare, or the Republican Plan – the difficult issues and available solutions are the same. We can’t afford the solutions we want and we don’t have the political will to implement the solutions that we can afford. I’ve reported on the practical issues…
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The 100 day plan
Trump’s ‘First 100 Days’ agenda includes repealing environmental protections, cutting consumer and small business finance regulations built into the Dodd-Frank Act, giving the rich and big corporations a huge tax cut, and putting in place a cabinet that doesn’t believe in the Voting Rights Act or public schools or Medicare or the Fair Housing Act.…
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My prayer for America
I’ve been a huge supporter of ongoing lifetime education. I take, on average, the equivalent of ten continuing education courses in a year along with time set aside for associated readings. I’m not just talking about continuing education for my profession. I’m not talking about the education available in our high schools, unfortunately, or even…