Our Current Political Crisis (in addition to Trump and Trumpism)

No Image

Here is a way to understand Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election

May 15, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

You don’t need to be a Hillary Clinton supporter (and I certainly am not) to recognize the strong evidence that elements from Russia flooded American social media with racially polarizing social media during the 2016 election campaign. Why did it occur? How about considering the following context? Traditionally socialism has envisioned a joining together of the entire working class, across nations and across races. When the USSR existed and the Communist Party USA was active, especially from the 1930s and subsequent decades, the CPUSA really worked vigorously for racial integration and equality as part of this larger struggle. Instead of […]

No Image

We urgently, desperately need HONEST SCIENCE so we can solve problems

May 7, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Do you remember the decades-old saying, “Garbage in — Garbage out”?  It referred to the problems with computer systems that receive inputs that are not accurate and — as a result — produce inaccurate outputs. The remedy, of course, is to make sure we have valid, accurate inputs in order to produce good results. Nowadays, the Trump/Republican federal government and many state governments are stuffed with climate deniers, dogmatic religious extremists, and other people who are subservient to special interests.  Instead of open-mindedly and honestly trying to solve problems, they exploit governments in order to distort public policies for corrupt […]

No Image

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 […]

No Image

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 […]

No Image

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 […]

No Image

“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 […]

No Image

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.  […]

No Image

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 […]

No Image

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 […]

No Image

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 […]

No Image

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, […]

No Image

Trump, politicians, media mislead the public about immigrants

April 22, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Trump’s 2016 political campaign rhetoric and lies about immigrants have continued in subsequent years.  Many other politicians act as if Trump’s lies were true. Mainstream media have failed to correct Trump’s lies, so most Americans seem to believe them. There is NOT a flood of immigrants entering the U.S. from Mexico.  Actually, the numbers dropped 90% from 1.7 million in 2005 to only 170,000 in 2015.  Also, more Mexican people are LEAVING the U.S. and moving to Mexico than vice versa. Most people who are here illegally did NOT come from our southern border.  Most came here on tourist visas, […]

No Image

Protecting science from corruption is URGENT and CRUCIAL

April 9, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

A huge number of scientists wrote a powerful statement in 2017 explaining how “Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course.”  They strengthened the statement in 2018 and now 20,000 scientists signed on to this “Warning to Humanity.”  This is yet one more reason why we need honest science to drive public policy.  Read the “Warning to Humanity” article at https://www.ecowatch.com/warning-to-humanity-scientists-2544973158.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=aaad04f9dd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-aaad04f9dd-85369701 Republicans’ partisan bias against science and reality:  https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/29/1752981/-Lies-have-a-conservative-bias-Republicans-up-their-war-on-science?detail=emaildkre The government needs good, honest science in order to devise smart public policy. However, the agencies under Trump have been slashing the numbers of competent scientists, failing to consider […]

No Image

Saturday April 14: Participate in Olympia’s March for Science!

April 9, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

11:00 a.m. at Washington State Capitol steps. Hear a few brief speakers. 11:45 Proceed down Capitol Way, turn left (decision pending on whether to turn left on Legion Way or 5th Ave), and enter Heritage Park. Visit informational booths until 2:00 p.m.. • Stop the denialism and corruption that interfere with honest science and good public policy. • Demand that public officials respect honest science and enact evidence-based public policies. • Human beings and our natural environment need this! Background and more information: • The head of the U.S.’s Environmental Protection Agency does not “believe” in climate change and works […]

No Image

Watergate book & film “All the President’s Men” is highly relevant now!

March 13, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Last night I watched the feature film “All the President’s Men,” which accurately lays out the Watergate scandal and the criminality of Nixon’s administration.  I had watched the film a number of years before and read the book many years before that. Now it is more relevant than ever, especially because: — The extremely corrupt Trump regime is violating the Constitution and the rule of law — News media nowadays do not dedicate themselves to investigative reporting and seeking the truth, nearly so much as they did before — Media consolidation — especially by right-wing owners — has created enormous […]