Saturday, August 31, 2013

Shooting the Archduke Ferdinand


By an amazing coincidence, in the last three weeks I read an account of the shooting of the Archduke in J. M. Roberts’ Twentieth Century:  The History of the World, 1901-2000,  listened to an account in a Teaching Company history course taught by J. Rufus Fears, and am in the middle of a historical novel by Anne Perry entitled No Graves as Yet  set in July 1913.  I’ve also read The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman, a book I’ve heard influenced President Kennedy’s actions in the Cuban Missile Crisis.  

In all of these accounts, it was clear that no one expected or predicted World War I.  After all, the last general European war had ended in 1815.  If a war did break out, it would be both short and glorious.

What happens is that small steps and limited wars often do not stay small or limited.  We aided Afghan rebels against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan and ended up with the Taliban.  We did “shock and awe” in Iraq and ended up with thousands dead and a country that is on the verge of civil war. 

I supported the President George Bush’s defense of Kuwait.  Iraq’s invasion was the first of that kind since the Korean conflict, it had UN backing, and it had a limited scope--to free Kuwait.  I supported President Clinton’s action in the Balkans.  It had a clear objective (to prevent genocide), it had international backing, and it was limited in scope.

The invasion of Iraq, however, was a different story.  In the first place, I wasn’t so sure about the weapons of mass destruction.  In the second place, I didn’t see when we would know if our objectives would be accomplished.  I didn’t even know what our objectives were.

Which brings us to Syria.  Is the evidence that the Syrian government used chemical weapons absolutely clear?  It is not.  Yes, I know about the intelligence reports, but we had good intelligence about Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction.  Yes, over a thousand people were killed, but many more were killed in South Sudan, and we did nothing.  

My concerns are that there is no such thing as a “surgical striken,”  that we can’t at this point be absolutely sure that the Syrian government did this, that even if it did I’m not sure it deserves an American response, and that there is no way to predict where U.S. actions will end.  

In simulations, “do nothing” is always an option.  In this case, I think the administration, at least for the next few weeks, should choose that option.

Friday, August 30, 2013

God doesn't like women


Is that too over-the-top?  To an outside observer like me, that’s the way it feels.  I suppose we could start with Muslims, some of whom want their women to be veiled, to not attend school, and never ever to be religious leaders.  Some Muslims feel so strongly about this that they attack and kill Afghan school girls.

Or we could go to Israel, where women praying at the Western Wall have provoked a major crisis.  We could discuss Mormons, where girls are not allowed to be missionaries and, if I understand it correctly, are supposed to take direction from their husbands--and bear children.

We have Southern Baptists, who abhor not only abortion, but also birth control.  And when is the last time you heard of a female Buddhist priest?  I haven’t even started on Catholics, but you might want to watch the movie “Doubt” to see an admittedly fictionalized, but probably accurate, presentation of the difference between priests and nuns.

Is God sexist?  Evidently not all gods.  Reform Jews don’t seem to have a problem with female rabbis, the United Church of Christ has both women and gays (and gay women) as ministers, and the Unitarians are totally accepting of women, although it seems Unitarians are more of a social group than a religion.  Nonetheless, when you start looking at religious beliefs in general, it is hard not to think that either the gods which are worshipped have a very low opinion of the female gender, or most religions are controlled by men.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Funderburk


“Nullification” is one of those terms that you sort of remember from American history, but it reeks of a musty past, and you probably aren’t sure exactly what it means.  Let me refresh your memory.  It was a doctrine advanced by John Calhoun of South Carolina, and it said that a state could “nullify” federal laws.  Andrew Jackson was President, and he said that idea was not only bogus (not his word), but that he would send federal troops into South Carolina to enforce federal law.

The Civil War put the nails into the coffin of nullification.  After hundreds of thousands of Americans died, the doctrine of nullification died with them.

Recently a state legislator in Missouri introduced a bill to nullify federal laws relating to firearms.  The bill actually passed both houses of the legislature (Republicans have a majority), but was vetoed by the Democratic Governor.  Now the legislature is contemplating an override.

The bill’s sponsor is Rep. Doug Funderburk.  I wrote Mr. Funderburk today.  Here’s my letter:

Rep. Doug Funderburk
Missouri House of Representatives
201 W. Capitol Ave., Room 316
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Dear Rep. Funderburk:

Recently I had an argument with a colleague as to which state had the most ridiculous legislators.  He said Pennsylvania, but I told him I was fairly sure it was Missouri.

Please send me a copy of your bill to “nullify” federal laws on weaponry.  

Sincerely,
Roy Christman

I have way too much fun.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Smartest Kids in the World


The bad news is they are not from the U.S.  Amanda Ripley recently published a book by that name, looking at Finland, South Korea, and Poland, all of which score far higher on tests than American students.  

She followed three American high school students in schools in each of those countries to see if she could discover the reasons American students were falling behind.  One major reason may be the emphasis on high school sports in America.    

For example, the Pennsylvania student who was studying in Poland came from a school  in which sports were “the core culture.”  Four local reporters showed up to each football game.  In Poland, “sports simply did not figure into the school day; why would they?  Plenty of kids played pickup soccer or basketball games on their own after school, but there was no confusion about what school was for--or what mattered to kids’ life chances.”

Now I’m feeling guilty.  In the window of the Democratic Information Center in Lehighton we are exhibiting large posters of County football team schedules.  We aren’t showing academic performance or highlighting test scores.  I think we may be part of the problem.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Union thug


Allentown Morning Call columnist Paul Carpenter, a consistent foe of unions, ran a strange column this past Sunday.  He said under Pennsylvania law unions were exempt from policies against weapons of mass destruction.  I sent him a reply, but I don’t expect him to answer.  I’ve written to Mr. Carpenter at least four times in the past and have never received a response.  Here’s my response: 

Dear Mr. Carpenter, 

Your column on Sunday, Aug. 25, decrying the fact that “labor union activists cannot be prosecuted for threatening to deploy weapons of mass destruction” was slightly over the top.  I’m the secretary to the Carbon County AFL-CIO labor chapter, and my experience is that unions are the ones being threatened.  

When we tried to pass out information on wages at the Wal-Mart in East Stroudsburg we were threatened with arrest if we didn’t move.  Three weeks ago a friend of mine lost  his job for advocating a union at a youth camp at Hickory Run State Park.  The largest industrial employer in Carbon County has a reputation for firing anyone who even discusses a union.  

When approximately 8% of the private workforce is union, when wages are stagnant or falling, and when corporate spending on campaigns is unlimited, unions are not the problem.

By the way, I sometimes wear a T-shirt that says “Union Thug.”  If you see me, don’t get scared.  It’s supposed to be ironic.

Monday, August 26, 2013

I hate Obamacare except when I like it


One of my alert readers sent me a link about a guy in Kentucky who hates “Obamacare” but obviously doesn’t know exactly what it is that he hates.  It’s both funny and sad.  Check it out at <http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017141134>.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

The History of the World


I’ve read about one-third of Twentieth Century:  The History of the World, 1901-2000 by J. M. Roberts.  At 906 pages, this is not a book, it’s a tome.  Nonetheless, I find it riveting.  

I am struck with how much can change in 100 years.  In 1913, one year before my father was born, the world was largely at peace.  Communism was a dream of a few radicals.  Hitler was an unemployed youth in Austria.  Africa was divided up into colonies.  India belonged to Great Britain.  China was a basket case.  The Ottoman empire ruled most of the Middle East, and the Austro-Hungarian empire ruled much of Eastern Europe.

What will the world be like in 2100?  Will the sea level rise as predicted?  Will one of the seven or eight countries that now possess nuclear weapons use them in war?  Will the world’s population stabilize, or will it continue to outstrip resources?  Will the U.S. and Russia be second-rate countries in a world dominated by China, India, and Brazil? 

In 1913, no one could have imagined the horrors of World War I or World War II.  No science fiction writer would have predicted the internet, or N.S.A. spying, or D.N.A.,
or G.P.S., or cell phones.  

I won’t be around to see the changes, but my grandson will.  And I worry for his sake.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

CCDC Picnic


After the Obama victory in 2008, Linda and some close friends formed a county-wide group of Democrats who had worked in the Obama campaign.  The group was called “Carbon County Democrats for Change,” and it has continued to provide a home for liberal and progressive activists to this day.

Today we had a CCDC picnic, with live music, excellent food, and all the beer and sangria you could drink.  The weather was perfect, and the music was outstanding.  It was wonderful to be among a group of people who don’t think global climate change is a hoax, who aren’t angry about immigrants without papers, who aren’t packing Glocks, who support Obamacare, and who are reasonable, rational, and friendly.

It was a great picnic, and, at a time when liberals can feel somewhat isolated, it was good to know we aren’t alone. 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Wrong Side of History


Sacramento Bee columnist Bill Endicott recently published an op-ed piece on a group of California conservatives who are trying to revive the proposition that banned gay marriage.  (Go to <http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/22/5670688/yet-again-the-right-is-on-wrong.htm> to read the whole column.)  Last week the California Supreme Court refused to hear arguments trying to revive that proposition.

Endicott pointed out that while “the wrong side of history” is a cliche, every significant advance in human rights in our history has faced opposition from conservatives, “from freeing the slaves to giving women the vote, to the minimum wage, child labor laws, Social Security, Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act.  The list goes on.”

The list does go on.  Add to that list Obamacare and immigration reform.  

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Redneck Festival Quiz


Linda and I will be working a booth at the Redneck Festival in Weissport next week.  We’ve done this every year since 2008, when we had a “Rednecks for Obama” booth, which proved quite popular.  Now we appear as “Yaller Dog Democrats.”  That title comes from an old Missouri saying, “I’d rather vote for an old Yaller Dog than for a Republican.”

We always try to have a poster that will not only amuse the visitors, but will also raise their consciousness.  This year I’m thinking about the following:

Take this quiz and win a free hot pepper if you get the correct answer:

Who caused the recession?
A.  Bikers.
B.  College students.
C.  People with tattoos.
D.  Labor union members.
E.  People who use food stamps.
F.   Undocumented farm workers.
G.  White guys in suits and ties who work for banks, hedge funds, and Wall Street 
      firms.

Extra Credit:
Of the groups listed above, which one suffered the least from the recession?

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Detroit bankruptcy


In the settlement with banks (UBS and Bank of America) preceding the declaration of bankruptcy in Detroit, the banks agreed to a discount of as much as 25% on what they are owed.

The banks take a hit of 25%.  Keep in mind that the banks played a hand in getting Detroit to where it is today.  

The Michigan government proposed to cut workers’ pensions by 90%.  Many municipal retirees do not receive Social Security.

So much for shared sacrifice.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Farmland Preservation


Linda and I just received the final approval from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for our farmland preservation application.  We had put our 13 acres into the program about six years ago.  Since then we bought ten acres from my uncle Leon and Aunt Helen, and we applied for that acreage.  

The program requires that you must have 50 acres unless your land borders already preserved farmland, in which case you only need ten.  Since our land bordered farmland leased by the Army Corps of Engineers, we qualified with our 13 acres.  Our recently purchased 10 acres also qualified.

Under the program, the farm may never be developed.  If our daughter inherits, she must keep the land in farmland--or at least open space if she doesn’t wish to farm.  If we sell our land, it must remain as farmland or open space.  It’s a deed restriction as the lawyers say, “in perpetuity.”

I love the idea that developers can never develop our farm.  

Monday, August 19, 2013

Ruth Asawa, 1926-2013


If you visit San Francisco, be sure to stop by the Asawa Fountain near Union Square.  Ms. Asawa asked hundreds of school children to mold images of the city out of dough.  She then cast the dough images into iron and incorporated them into the fountain.  It is really a fun piece of sculpture, but see it soon.  According to what I’ve read, Apple, Inc., wants to move the fountain to make way for a plaza.  

In 1939 Ms. Asawa won an art contest in her high school on what it means to be an American with her drawing of the Statue of Liberty.  After Pearl Harbor she was detained in a horse stable at Santa Anita with other Americans of Japanese descent and eventually interned in a camp in Arkansas.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Voter ID


The Carbon County Registrar’s office has a poster on the door telling people they need I.D. to vote.  They don’t.  Now we have court opinion from Judge Bernard McGinley that explains that poll workers can no longer tell voters they need ID.  

Judge McGinley said, “The court cannot ignore the fact that the information conveyed to electors, if relayed at all, in the last two regularly scheduled elections, was inaccurate.”  There were reports that some election officials told voters who lacked ID that they could not vote.

This November will be the fourth election since the ID law was passed that voters will be allowed to vote without ID.  Let’s hope the judge throws out the law.  The law’s only purpose is to reduce the Democratic vote.

Yard sale report:
The informal rules of blogging say that you should only discuss one issue per posting.  Last night I was just too exhausted to post, but I will tell you that our yard sale was a major success.  We took in  $1075 after expenses, and that ensures that the Democratic Information Center will remain open through 2013.  

Carol, Patti, Sandra, and Kyle made the sale a success.  We may do this every year, unless the Koch Brothers come through with a donation.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Yard sale


After the Obama 2012 campaign a number of us thought we should keep the office open.  We reasoned that every two years we needed a campaign office, and every two years we scrambled around to find a suitable location to rent for a few months.  Why not just keep the office we had, which was located in downtown Lehighton, on First Street, across from the park?  We liked our landlord, and the location was great, including a front window.

Since the County Party had neither the funds nor the inclination to keep the office open, a number of us set up a committee known as the “Community Outreach Association” to operate the headquarters, known as he “Democratic Information Center.”  We have our own bank account and treasurer, completely separate from the official county Democratic Party.  We have our own Board of Directors--Patti, Sandra, Carol, and me.

While we are independent of the official party, our mission statement says that one of our purposes is to strengthen the Democratic Party in Carbon County.  Two groups--the Lehighton Area Democratic Club and the Carbon County Labor Council--meet in our facility, and we are also the headquarters of the Helen Torok campaign.  Helen is running for Borough Council in Lehighton.

One problem is that the rent is $400 a month, plus utilities.  We have a dedicated group of donors, but we only have rent money until October.  To raise funds, we are holding a massive yard sale tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  We hope to raise at least $800 to get us into 2014.  If you are anywhere near 6495 Pohopoco Drive, Lehighton, come out and buy something.  

If you are one of our loyal readers in Belgium, I’ll send you a book.  We are selling books for 25¢ each, or five for a dollar.  We have over 1000 books.  Also squash and hot peppers.  And fishing lures.  And hats.  And collectibles.  And on and on.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Kutztown University voter suppression


Many college campuses place a voting site on-campus.  College students often do not have cars, and a large number of voters are concentrated in a small area.  

Today the Morning Call ran an article on the vote by the Berks County Commissioners to move a polling place from Keystone Hall on campus to the Maxatawny Township Building several miles away.

The County’s Chief Operating Officer (I am not familiar with that particular office) said that state law, where possible, says polling places must be in public buildings.  Evidently he does not consider a campus building in a state university to be a public building.

By the way, the Berks County Commissioners are majority Republican.  The article also noted that in in 2012, 1,636 people voted at the Kutztown location, 60% of them for Obama.  The Chair of the Commissioners said the move was not for political reasons.

I wonder if his pants caught on fire as he was making that statement.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Old White Guys Behaving Badly


Last evening I attended a meeting of the Lower Towamensing Township Board of Supervisors.  It began with Chair Brent Green calling for a moment of silence in memory of the three innocent people killed at the Ross Township meeting earlier this month. Ross Township is in Monroe County, which adjoins Carbon.

The meeting went down hill from there.  In the period reserved for comments from the audience, an older man stood up and, in a rambling speech, talked about the “assholes” at the previous meeting.  A former supervisor went into a tirade and warned the supervisors, in what I thought was a threatening manner, “You know what happened in Ross Township.”    

Chairman Brent Green told him “That’s enough.”  Green warned him that any more comments like that and he would be asked to leave the meeting.  He settled down, but I learned that he disrupts almost every monthly township meeting.

Later, another guy in the audience verbally attacked the townships’s zoning officer.  In the course of his remarks he used the “f word.”  He was reprimanded by the Chair and apologized, but his whole tone was completely inappropriate for a public meeting.  

I am sorry to say that the last two guys were obviously Pennsylvania Dutch, making me ashamed of my ethnicity.  I don’t know what happened to civility, but it has obviously left Lower Towamensing Township.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The highest paid governor in the country


That honor goes to Governor Corbett of Pennsylvania.  His annual salary is $183,000.  

We’re paying top dollar for that?

Injustice for all


The gap between what is legal and what is right is often wide.  The letter of the law may be met while a terrible injustice is committed. The Sunday Review section of the Times this week contained three accounts of complete failures of the American justice system. 

Just one of these should make people angry.  Three is almost overwhelming, and indicates a breakdown of our judicial system and our sense of common justice.  Here is a quick summary:

1.  “Fatal Mercies,” by Frank Bruni, details the story of Pottsville resident Joseph Yourshaw, 93, a decorated World War II vet who suffered from severe diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.  He was terminal, in pain, and receiving hospice care.  His daughter, Barbara Mancini, was helping to care for him.  

On Feb. 7 he swallowed a large amount of morphine in the presence of his daughter, who had handed him the vial.  When the hospice nurse came by, Mr. Yourshaw was unresponsive.  She called 911, the medics arrived, took Yourshaw to the hospital, and revived him against his earlier expressed wish.    He died in the hospital four days later.

Ms. Mancini is now charged with aiding a suicide, a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office is in charge of the prosecution.

2.  “After Guantanamo, Another Injustice,” by John Grisham, details the case of Nabil Hadjarab, a 34-year-old Algerian who grew up in France.  He was one of the people arrested for bounty money, put in Bagram prison, beaten by U.S. soldiers, eventually transferred to Guantanamo, tortured, and held for the past 11 years.  He has never been charged with a crime.

Grisham says Mr. Hadjarab will probably be among a group of detainees released in Algeria.  He will have no money.  He won’t get an apology for 11 years of mistreatment by our government.

3.  “Help Thy Neighbor and Go Straight to Prison,” by Nicholas D. Kristof, tells of Edward Young, age 43, of Tennessee.  Young had done time for burglary, but he turned himself around, married, worked six days a week, and raised four kids.

His neighbor, a widow, asked Mr. Young to help sell her husband’s belongings.  When he was sorting through them, he found 7 shotgun shells.  He put them aside, so his kids wouldn’t find him.  

When police were looking for suspects for area burglaries, they searched his house, found the shells, and now Young is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney William Killian under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which bars ex-felons from possessing guns or ammo.  Mr. Young, by the way, does not have a shotgun to go with the shells. If Young is convicted, he will serve a minimum of 15 years.

I want to stress that these three articles appeared on the same day, Aug. 11.  In each case--Ms. Mancini, Mr. Hadjarab, and Mr. Young--the authorities are acting in the name of “the people.  In each case what they are doing is terribly wrong.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Predator Flags


If you asked your member of Congress for a flag flown over the Capitol Building, he or she will send you one.  Flags are raised and lowered over the Capitol on a regular basis.

Now you can also get a memorable souvenir flag flown on a Predator drone.  The Army sticks a flag into the fuselage of a drone that flies over Iraq.  The flag comes complete with a certificate telling you facts about the drone on which the flag was flown.  

Makes you proud.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Bike Night


Every year in August the borough of Lehighton hosts “Bike Night,” a time for motorcycle enthusiasts to congregate and show off their tattoos, their chicks, and their bikes.  My impression is that many bikers think of themselves as radicals.

They aren’t.

This is commodified radicalism.  You need to spend thousands of dollars on a motorcycle, preferably a Harley.  You need to spend money on the clothes (though not a helmet because tough guys don’t wear helmets).  You need to go on runs.  You probably pride yourself on your long hair, or your tattoos, and the tradition of biker outlaws, dating from Marlon Brando in “The Wild Ones” and Peter Fonda in “Easy Rider.”  (“What are you rebelling against?” and Johnny replies, “What do you got?”)

But it isn’t really rebellion, is it? The status quo isn’t really challenged.  The economic system remains unchanged.  It’s a bunch of guys playing dress-up and pretending they are tough.  In the meanwhile the real powers--Wall Street and Wal-Mart and the Koch Brothers--go on their merry way.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Elysium


The great thing about science fiction is that it can provide us a new perspective on current conditions.  “District 9,” a film by Neil Blomkamp released in 2009, featured a group of alien refugees who land on earth and are segregated into ramshackle ghettoes.  That film was an allegory about apartheid; Mr. Blomkamp is South African.

“Elysium,” the second film by Mr. Blomkamp, is set roughly 150 years in the future.  Rich people have segregated themselves into the ultimate gated community, a satellite that orbits the earth.  It is filled with large suburban-style homes and features health care that can cure any illness.  

Meanwhile, back on a very polluted, over-crowded earth, the mass of people live in favela-like conditions, lacking decent jobs, and adequate medical care.  Some of them try to get into Elysium, but they are identified as aliens.  Those who aren’t shot out of the sky are immediately deported back to earth.

I don’t think I’ll spoil the movie if I tell you that the status of who is illegal and who is legal can be changed by deleting two letters on a computer program.  It is the equivalent of the Congress passing a bill changing the status of millions of Americans who are denied voting rights, food stamps, and basic human services because they are arbitrarily classified as “illegal.”

By the way, if you identify with the people on Elysium you voted for Mitt Romney.  If you identify with the people in L.A., you voted for Obama.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Gestation crates


About a week ago I slammed animal rights zealots who put individual animals ahead of species survival.  I promised that I would post an opinion concerning animal rights agitation I thought was justified.  

A few days later I noticed the follow-up posting was never published.  I don’t know what happened, but here it is:

The House of Representatives added an amendment to the farm bill to nullify a number of state laws that protect farm animals.  The amendment had the support of House Republicans, many of whom trumpet their support of states’ rights.

Family farms are not the problem.  Big Ag factory farms are the problem.  Those are the businesses (please don’t call them farms) that used “gestation crates” that don’t allow sows to turn around when giving birth.  Those are the businesses that raise calves in tine pens to produce tender veal.  Those are the businesses that keep chickens in small wire cages for their entire lives.

In response to Big Ag, some states have passed laws that recognize that farm animals must be treated humanely.  Now the House would override those state laws.

The Senate and the House must still reconcile their farm bill versions; maybe the Senate conferees will say no to the House amendments.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

The Carbon County Fair


The Carbon County Fair is in full swing.  Today was opening day.  Linda and I set up the tent at the County Democratic Party booth, and she has been calling possible volunteers to staff the booth for the last three days.  I think she has the week covered.

The Republicans are a major presence at the fair.  Our space is 10 by 10 feet; they rented two spaces with a huge tent.  The Tea Party people (in this area known as the 9/12ers) also have a space, and Congressman Lou Barletta has his own space.

We are fighting back.  We have a sign telling people to visit the Barletta table and ask why he voted to cut hundreds of jobs at Tobyhanna Army Depot.  The Republicans have a sign urging people to register and vote Republican, while our sign says we register ALL parties.  The Republicans are giving away free peanuts, but we are giving away high school football schedules for all the county high school teams, and you can take one of those even if you have a peanut allergy.

The other fair news is that I won four first place ribbons for my hot peppers and one for my mulberry jam, and Linda took firsts on a number of flowers and herbs and a painting of an Indian child.  

Monday, August 5, 2013

Solar panels threaten power companies


Clark Gellings of the Electric Power Research Institute, an arm of the power industry, called rooftop solar panels a “disruption.”  Here’s Mr. Gellings’s full quote from a NYT business section article by Diane Cardwell:  “We did not get in front of this disruption.  It may be too late.”  The power companies say they are worried about maintaining the nation’s electrical grid.

Just in case you are curious, solar rooftop panels account for less than one-fourth of one percent of the nation’s power generation.

Another thing I owe Obama


Political scientist Mancur Olson said there were three reasons why people joined political groups or retained their membership.  He said they usually joined because they shared an ideology with the members of a group.  He called that reason “purposive.”  

The second reason they joined or strayed was for the material benefits.  I stay in the AARP because I get a discount at motels.  Members join the N.R.A. because they get a discount on ammo.  Your union gets you discounts at Dorney Park or an Iron Pigs game.

The third reason people stay in groups is because of what Olson called “solidary” feelings.  You may join a group for purposive or material reasons, but eventually you develop friendships in the group.  “Solidary” is jargon; think friends.

Right now I am angry with President Obama over the N.S.A. phone taps and the drones and Guantanamo, but I owe him a great deal.   It was because of his campaigns in 2008 and 2012 that I met Chris and Helen and Patti and Sandra and Rene and Joe and so many more.  Most of my friends are political friends, but that doesn’t make them any less friends.  In my case, it makes them my closest friends.   

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Gun Control in America: An Autopsy Report


That’s the title of an article by Charles W. Collier in the summer issue of Dissent.  Mr. Collier points out how the Second Amendment has been stretched.  Here’s how it works in America.  

You have a “right” to assemble an arsenal with ammo, you have a “right” to bring your weapon in to a public place, you have a “right” to point your weapon in the general direction of another person, and, if you feel “reasonably” threatened by that person, you have a “right” to shoot him dead.

I don’t think James Madison anticipated that when he wrote the Second Amendment.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Why I haven't commented on the Gilberton Police Chief


Life is too short to comment on every deranged individual who goes viral on the internet.    If everyone ignored such silliness, it would die a quick death.  I have not looked at the video.  I don’t intend to.  I have better things to do.

But if you aren’t satisfied with that, how’s this?  Anyone has a right to post goofy rants on the internet.  Anyone does not have the right to be a chief of police of a Pennsylvania borough.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Bill Scranton


He was a Republican governor of Pennsylvania who created the state community college system, the Higher Education Assistance Act, and the state Board of Education.  He was a Republican governor who raised taxes, who decreased unemployment, and who, when he was in Congress, supported civil rights, foreign aid, and the Peace Corps.

Scranton served as governor of Pennsylvania for one term (all that was allowed at that time) from 1962 to 1966.  He died last week at age 96.  I wish they still made Republicans like that.