February 18, 2017

Undocumented Immigration Discretion In A Nation Of Laws

It is against the law to cross the border illegally. That is what Republicans say, as if to educate the rest of us. Oh, and thanks for the redundancy! They tell us we are a “nation of laws,” and those laws must be enforced. It’s as if they are saying, “I would be more compassionate, but the law has my hands tied.” They are not against immigration, they tell us, but people need to immigrate the right way, because it is deeply unfair that some people skip to the front of the line.

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February 15, 2015

Social Media, Religion, Politics – Just Chill Out

Maybe it comes from the fact that I’m not religious. Maybe it comes from the fact that I don’t have deep-seated beliefs that I take “personally” when remarks I make are challenged. But, some people just need to chill out on Facebook, on Twitter, or whatever your social network of choice happens to be. If I challenge something you said in a Facebook status update, it’s a confrontation of that particular thought, not the entirety of you as a person. But if this “thought” is of religious nature, even if disguised as political, that’s where we get into the territory of the deep-seated belief. And maybe I just can’t understand how one would react in this situation because, again, I don’t have deep-seated beliefs on the level of religious dogma. And let’s not mistake this with ethics or morals, because they are not the same things. Your “beliefs” are not directly equitable to what society may consider ethical or moral in the aggregate. We need only look to Islamic extremists to drive this point home. Anyway, do I have a point here? Not really, other than people need to chill the fuck out when an opposing viewpoint “intrudes” into their social media territory.

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January 8, 2014

The Economics Of Moral Outrage, How Liberals And Conservatives Differ

At some point we as a society need to come to terms with the fact that economic status is not a good barometer for morality, and it certainly tells you nothing of the character of a human being. You are not in higher moral standing because you earn a larger paycheck. And a person should not automatically be assumed morally suspect because they are unemployed, or can’t pay their mortgage, or can’t keep food on the table.

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September 4, 2013

Do We Stamp A ‘Moral High Ground’ Guarantee On Each Cruise Missile We Launch At Syria?

So it looks like we are getting ourselves involved in yet another war. And I don’t really care what the Obama administration wants to call it. When you launch cruise missiles into another country, that’s an act of war. You can attempt justify it, you can make your case, and even if you were correct, it changes nothing. War is war. Or let’s put it another way so that everyone can understand. If another country took an aggressive action against the United States, and we called that aggression an act of war (which we would), than it is still an act of war when we do it to them.

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February 26, 2013

Conservatives Believe The Sequester Is Moral

George Lakoff, professor of linguistics at UC Berkeley, has a blunt analysis of conservative support of the automatic spending cuts (the sequester). “They [conservatives] believe that Democracy gives them the liberty to seek their own self-interests by exercising personal responsibility, without having responsibility for anyone else or anyone else having responsibility for them,” says Lakoff. “They take this as a matter of morality. They see the social responsibility to provide for the common good as an immoral imposition on their liberty.”

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November 24, 2012

Walmart Is The Corporate Embodiment Of America’s Growing Inequality

I have a secret to reveal. I used to regularly shop at Walmart. I live in the outer stretches of Philadelphia’s western suburbs, and Walmart happened to be the closest place to go food shopping. I was never enthusiastic about shopping at Walmart, and as my social and political views evolved, I grew even more uneasy with contributing my money to a company in opposition to my values. So nearly three years ago I stopped food shopping at Walmart, and in fact, I don’t think I’ve stepped foot inside a Walmart since then.

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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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