September 1, 2013

Insomniac Edition: Neil Young – Rockin’ in the Free World (1989)

Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” is one of those protest songs that can probably be utilized by people of many different political stripes and motivations. Taken at face value, and only paying attention to the title, it could be interpreted as pro-West, pro-democracy, or in other words, pro-American. Much the same as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A” which was misappropriated by the conservative right (including former President Ronald Reagan), “Rockin’ in the Free World” has a more subversive meaning, possibly even rivaling that of Springsteen’s “Born.”

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September 1, 2013

Fukushima Nuclear Plant Radiation Levels ‘Lethal Within Four Hours’

Over two years after the earthquake and tsunami that destroyed entire towns and left Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant crippled and dangerously unstable, it’s hard to get this issue to rise above all the other news (and noise). BBC News reports that radioactive water leaked into the ground last week, and measurements show levels high enough to “prove lethal within four hours of exposure.” This is a problem that is not going away anytime soon.

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September 1, 2013

Climate Change Fueled Hurricanes: Let’s Name Them After The Deniers (VIDEO)

You can’t connect any single weather event directly to climate change, but you can point to trends. And a climate change trend scientists are predicting is more severe and extreme weather events, and stronger more devastating hurricanes (a “new normal”). But why should we name these hurricanes using innocuous names like Andrew, Sandy, Ivan, and Katrina when there are much more suitable and deserving names to choose from. We should name hurricanes after prominent climate change deniers like Marco Rubio, Michele Bachmann, John Boehner, and Rick Perry.

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August 31, 2013

What Will U.S. Military Force Against Syria Accomplish?

Today President Obama announced he decided the United States will use military force against Syria for its chemical weapon use. The President said he would seek the approval of congress, but noted that he has the executive power to authorize this action without congressional approval. That is something in stark contrast to his previous stance as Senator. In 2007, while on the presidential campaign trail, Obama said, “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.” I know we are supposed to believe presidents are privy to more information than us mere mortals, but this seems like a huge compromise of ethics, not to mention constitutionally questionable.

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August 29, 2013

IRS To Recognize Same-Sex Marriage For Federal Tax Purposes

This has to be one of the more unusual issues for people to cheer about, but it’s a big deal. Today the U.S. Treasury Department announced legally married same-sex couples will be treated as married for all federal tax considerations. This includes federal income tax filing status, estate tax, and more. The announcement comes only months after the Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, as unconstitutional.

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August 28, 2013

Prison-Industrial Complex: The Magic Thinking Of America’s ‘Tough On Crime’ Reactionary Types

I recently participated in a debate on Facebook about criminals and American incarceration. The debate sprang from an article about a repeat offender, committing yet another robbery only weeks after release from a nine-year sentence. My takeaway from this conversation is that America’s prison-industrial complex will not change as long as most Americans are passive on this issue. And that’s because there are a fair number of people in this country who have a philosophy that one should die for the crimes he or she commits, particularly if a repeat offender. In their minds, the only requirement that need be met for a death sentence is their sole judgement that this human being no longer deserves to live, and will never be a useful member of society.

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August 26, 2013

Counterview: Syria Chemical Weapon Use. Does It Change Anything?

Today Secretary of State John Kerry said, “What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world.” He added that is was “undeniable” despite “excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured,” which is likely directed at Russia. And of course he’s right. There is no excuse. But does that mean there can be a viable excuse for use of conventional (non-chemical) weapons?

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