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U.S.’s long history of anti-intellectualism is bearing rotten fruit now

May 7, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

In 1962 the great historian Richard Hofstadter published his book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life.  I bought it in about 1970 and always wanted to read it.  Now I am starting to read it because its message is so horribly relevant now. A long stream of anti-intellectualism has hurt the U.S. in various ways throughout our history.  It seems to be worsening now, as the federal government has made the U.S. a “rogue nation” that denies science in many aspects of public policy (environment, climate, health issues, etc.) and deletes honest, accurate scientific information from the federal government’s websites.  Under Trump […]

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This powerfully insightful article helps us understand progressives’ infighting over race, gender, etc.

May 5, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The article at this link — https://www.alternet.org/activism/progressive-infighting — offers many very fresh insights that can help us move forward. I urge people to read the entire article. I’m summarizing a few key points below (and identifying which additional comments are my own). The entire article fleshes these out and adds more insights. I highly recommend reading the article at the link in this paragraph. The article’s title – “Here’s Why Some Progressives Are Tearing Each Other Apart” – is bold, accurate, and highly relevant to the organizing crises many of us have been experiencing in the past few years. The […]

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The U.S. Empire is BI-PARTISAN.

May 2, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

It’s easy to criticize the hawkish foreign policy that Trump and the Republicans are promoting.  Their gross cruelty causes some people to overlook the fact that Obama, Bill Clinton, and the Democrats have done similar things when they were in the White House and Congress. A year ago Courage to Resist (www.couragetoresist.org) published in its May 2017 newsletter an article (“Empire War Status” written on April 6, 2017, by Bob Meola, a member of Courage to Resist.  The information below includes some of his ideas and some of my own. He wrote: “A lot of people miss Barack Obama because […]

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Gain insights and solve problems by seeing entire systems, not immediate assumptions.

May 2, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

People tend to make the assumptions that are easy.  But we gain fresher insights and solve problems better when we see the entire SYSTEMS, not only the immediately observable facts. Here is an example that I learned decades ago and still think of often.  It illustrates how to improve functioning by seeing the whole SYSTEM, not simply making the easiest assumption. Decades ago some offices employed Data Entry Operators to type data (names, addresses, other words, dollar amounts, code numbers, etc.) from paper forms into computer systems.  These were high-speed operations that needed fast, accurate typing. It was crucial that […]

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“Peak Oil” was about SUPPLY. Now we’re experiencing “Peak DEMAND.”

April 29, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

In 2004, 2005, and a bit beyond, people (including me) were writing a lot about “Peak Oil.”  (If you want links to articles, etc., contact me at glenanderson@integra.net.) “Peak Oil” was about a peak in SUPPLY, resulting in several kinds of crises (economic, political, etc.) when the SUPPLY reaches its peak and starts to decline. Now we are facing a peak in DEMAND.  The climate crisis is forcing governments, businesses, and consumers to practice serious conservation and to convert to renewable energy.  This new “Peak DEMAND” will cause crises too.  Oil companies, transportation companies, etc., face serious problems like those […]

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Bold Economic Strategy to Create Jobs, Fund Infrastructure & Health & Climate, etc.

April 29, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Our nation needs many expensive remedies, including jobs, education, health, infrastructure, protection for our environment and climate, etc. Politicians keep saying we can’t afford them.  They are WRONG because they are trapped in the conventional misunderstandings about economics, the federal budget, etc.  They assume that taxes are the starting point, and we can’t increase taxes. Actually, the starting point is CREDIT.  Banks create money out of thin air by issuing loans with promises that the loans will be repaid later.  The federal government already has the authority to increase spending through a method that is more bold than mere Keynesianism.  […]

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Recent protests in Iran are NOT what Trump claims

April 29, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The following information is based on information I received from someone I know who is from Iran and is extremely well informed about her country of origin and current realities there.  This Iranian-American lives in the Washington DC area. Recently Trump lied about the protests that occurred in parts of Iran in late December 2017 and early January 2018.  He claimed that the Iranian people were calling for “regime change” and supporting Trump’s belligerent policy toward that nation.  As always, Trump was totally wrong and lied in a self-serving way. The Iranian people know that the U.S. and England overthrew […]

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Protect the 2020 census and DEMOCRACY ITSELF from Trump’s racist, partisan abuse!

April 28, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

I’ve been reading a lot about Trump’s blatant attempt to violate the Constitution by politicizing and racializing the 2020 census.  This article from MoveOn does a good job of summarizing the crisis succinctly, and it provides an URGENT PETITION that you can sign: Donald Trump and his Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, want to add a question about citizenship to the census. The Constitution states that “all people” must be counted for the census, not just citizens. If this question goes ahead, all urban areas — and big states like California, Florida, New York, and Texas — will lose federal funding […]

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Media lets Melania’s white hat distract them from covering important news

April 28, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

France’s leader spoke to the U.S. Congress in April 2018.  He gave a stunning rebuke to Trump and Trumpism by denouncing the deliberate denial of science and the climate crisis.  He denounced the nationalism and isolationism.  He really nailed it! What did the U.S.’s mainstream news media cover?  They focused on the pretty white hat that Trump’s wife wore.  This utter incompetence and negligence are dumbing down the USA.  Trumpism relies on ignorance and distraction from the important issues.  The mainstream news media play along and support Trumpism in this way. See a closely related article (“The Republic Crumbles, Melania […]

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April 30 to May 6, 2018 is SCREEN-FREE WEEK

April 28, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Every year in late April or early May people — ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE — are urged to get away from screens and do activities during “SCREEN-FREE WEEK.”  Life is much more than addiction to screens.  Get outside!  Enjoy nature!  Connect face-to-face with people!  Read books!  Work in the yard or garden!  Do volunteer work!  Live!  Say no to persistent commercialism and distraction and superficiality! Information:  www.screenfree.org Information:  www.commercialfreechildhood.org  There are Screen-Free Week events all around the world, at libraries, schools, and museums, like the Original Children’s Playhouse Museum in Frederick, MD, which is partnering with 7 elementary schools to help […]

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May 15 of every year is International Conscientious Objection Day

April 28, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

President Kennedy said wars will continue until conscientious objectors who refuse to fight are appreciated as much as soldiers are. Most nations celebrate their people who make war, but almost no nations celebrate their people who make peace.  Grassroots people who organize to urge their nations to create nonviolent foreign policies deserve respect and appreciation.  So also do those people — those in the military and those facing the military draft — who REFUSE TO FIGHT BECAUSE OF THEIR CONSCIENCES.  These Conscientious Objectors are recognized on May 15 of every year. If you want information about Conscientious Objection — either […]

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Here is how to link nuclear weapons with other hot issues

April 23, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

We are committed to vigorous grassroots organizing to abolish nuclear weapons. A smart strategy is to link this issue to other hot issues that people care about. I wrote – and am attaching – 3 flyers that accomplish this.  See these 3 links: Stop gun violence — Stop nuclear weapons Climate crisis and nuclear weapons are two existential threats.docx Many scientists oppose nuclear weapons We could replicate this kind of strategy for other issues we are working on. I printed hundreds of copies and handed out (and recruited some other volunteers to hand out) a great many copies of the […]

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URGENT: Phone Heck, Murray, Cantwell to prevent attack on North Korea

April 23, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The leaders of North and South Korea want peace!  They will hold an historic summit this Friday April 27 that should lead to further steps toward peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. But Trump wants war instead.  He has been hiring notorious war-hawks to advise him and run federal agencies. Only a few U.S. Congress members are vigorously promoting diplomacy instead of war.  They have introduced the “No Unconstitutional Strike against North Korea Act.”  The Senate bill (S. 2016) has only 3 co-sponsors, and the House bill (H.R. 4837) has 69 co-sponsors. We must phone U.S. Representative Denny Heck […]

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Ancient Chinese philosophers predicted Trump’s disruptions of earth’s climate!

April 22, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Some ancient Chinese philosophers — especially the Taoists, but others too — emphasized the need for moderation, harmony, etc., rather than greed or arrogance or violence.  My readings of Taoism show how far the U.S. is away from “the good life” of peace and harmony and public well-being. I’ve been reading books about ancient Chinese philosophy.  Just now I read that in about the 3rd or 4th century BC, some Chinese philosophers I the “Grand Norm” school of thought identified what are referred to as “various indications.”  The book I’m reading (citation below) says: “These are rain, sunshine, heat, cold, […]