What do I Stand for?

Many of my readers may think that I am a closet Democrat.  They would be wrong, as for decades national Democrats have been nearly as corrupt as national Republicans.  A pox on both their houses!  Well, then, a closet liberal.  Closer, as many of my political positions are liberal ones.  Nevertheless, I have worn the conservative badge in my life; but we have needed progress more than tradition these last 40 or more years, especially as regards to equal rights for previously marginalized members of our greater society.  But I am not a liberal by today’s standards, or yesterday’s, close as I may be.  I have held, and still do, positions that would shock most Americans, positions that are not liberal or conservative.  For example, I want EVERY wage earner paying some federal income taxes; I do not like the idea of exempting so much income (via the Trump tax cut) that low wage earners pay nothing into the system, they become what may have lost Mitt Romney the presidency in 2012, "dependent" "victims."  If given the choice of who or what to kill – an eagle, falcon, tiger, lion, etc., or a human who is about to shoot one of these endangered creatures – without hesitation, I say kill the human (and I don’t care what the extenuating circumstances are, I have no sympathy whatever for savage humans who kill members of an endangered species for sport or kicks [hunters don't kill endangered species]).  And I care more about people in need than anyone who is financially healthy.  These are not personal preferences, these are political choices (I may have a wealthy friend who I like more than a homeless man, but I want government helping out the homeless dude, before my buddy).

The Electoral College

Repealing the Electoral College is an idea whose time has come! Not!

If you have paid any attention to this question – should we repeal the Electoral College? – you will have noticed that the call for repeal only happens sporadically, specifically after a presidential election elevates the candidate with an Electoral College majority but not a popular vote majority (or even plurality). Then, after only a few months, all the energy for repeal dies, waiting for the next time that electoral votes and popular votes divide us once again.

Postpartum Depression

This blog post is not about how the health care industry discriminates against women. Nor does this post demonstrate conclusively that Ben Paine is a closet sexist (pshew!). And it is barely about the new miracle drug for postpartum depression. Rather, this post is a commentary on Ben’s Care, that the single reason for the high cost of health care in the United States is private health care insurance. Hearing about this new drug on the radio inspired this post.

What is a Right, anyway?

I recently found this gem on my Facebook Timeline, posted there by a “friend” of mine.  It is called A Bill of Non Rights.  The author (Lewis Napper, a computer software engineer from Mississippi who ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 2000) was tired of hearing that every damn thing is a RIGHT (he was a Libertarian, of course), and he made the point (back in 1993) that all sorts of things (food, housing, health care, a job, happiness, etc.) are not “rights,” a point with which I substantially agree.  You may have already seen it on your Facebook Timeline.  But you should read it before continuing to read this post.