May 28, 2013

What Can Denmark Teach Us About Ourselves?

On The Huffington Post, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders asks (“What Can We Learn From Denmark?“). But I think a better question is: What can Denmark teach us about ourselves? — Senator Sanders talks about the town hall meetings he attended with Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen. During those meetings, people learned about the major differences in quality of life of the average person in Denmark compared to the average person in the United States.

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March 17, 2013

A Liberal Case For No Compromise In Washington

Washington D.C. - photo by Patrick NouhaillerNumerous articles on this blog have critiqued Republicans’ unwillingness to compromise. I’ve mentioned that House Speaker John Boehner doesn’t even like the word compromise. So you would think that I believe compromise is a good thing in Washington. Well, if we were dealing with two political parties that gravitated towards the center of the political spectrum, one being center-left, the other being center-right, then sure, compromise is a good thing. That’s not the make-up of Washington D.C. at the moment.

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February 10, 2013

Liberal: What Does It Mean? – The Rise And Fall Of Modern Social Liberalism

In May of 2011, I asked the question “What does it mean to be a liberal?” The question and the blog post that followed were written months before the launch of what is now called The Left Call. Apparently I was not alone in asking the question as that post from nearly two years ago is now the 3rd most popular on this blog. And because of that, I feel the need to expand.

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February 8, 2013

On The Debt And Deficit, Forget About Shared Sacrifice

A common argument in support of raising taxes on the rich is the idea of shared sacrifice. The United States has a lot of debt, and somebody has to pay for it. And after all, if cuts to programs like Social Security and Medicare are on the table, then how exactly are the rich supposed to sacrifice if not for increased taxes?

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November 8, 2012

Post-Election: A Palpable Fear Of Change For Conservatives

I’m a big fan of routine, of knowing how things work, and not needing to constantly re-adjust my expectations. And I think this is true of most people. But post-election, it seems fear of change for many (white) conservatives is palpable. Conservatives see a rapidly changing America, and it scares them. Their fear is not based on a tangible threat, but rather a sense that America is heading to a different and unknown destination. I get it; change is scary. The unknown is scary. I get that people prefer the devil they know. — But should this fear of the unknown hold us back from embracing what makes America unique?

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October 30, 2012

Liberal? Not Voting Obama? Thinking Of Voting Third Party?

Obama or Stein? - photo by Kevyn JacobsIf you are a liberal and you are not planning to vote for President Obama, I have two words for you: Supreme Court. If you are considering a vote for a third party presidential candidate like Jill Stein of the Green Party, or if you are thinking of not voting at all, I would like to remind you that the Supreme Court already leans conservative 5 to 4.

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October 21, 2012

Demonizing Wealth? Have You Paid Attention To Who Is Prospering Lately?

I’ve written about this topic before in response to an article comment, and I’m going to write about it again in response to another comment. — There are a number of average Americans willing to step up to the plate and defend the wealthy. They believe there is a class war against the rich. They believe President Obama is against wealth. They believe Democrats and liberals are against success. But where does this belief come from? I have serious doubts that so many average Americans simultaneously came to this conclusion. No, they believe wealth is being demonized because wealthy powerful people are saying just that, and they choose to believe it. And I don’t know why.

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September 26, 2012

How A Liberal Can Support Obama Despite Moral Concerns

Conor Friedersdorf wrote a piece in The Atlantic outlining on ethical and moral terms, why he refuses to vote for Barack Obama. And I agree with just about everything he says, except not supporting President Obama. — He lays out his case citing Obama’s reckless use of drone strikes and targeted killings of American citizens without trial. President Obama should not be above the law. We said the same thing about George W. Bush. Friedersdorf admits that he likes Obama, finds him engaging as a speaker, but the following three facts make it impossible for him to vote for Obama:

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