Archive
After the BP Oil Disaster
I have been to the Gulf Coast several times since the BP oil disaster started. I’ve spoken with affected residents, and I’ve taken boat tours to see the tragic images of oil-soaked birds and wetlands up close. Each time I go, everything seems to hit me even harder than the previous visit.
Let’s Shelve New Nuclear Power Initiatives
President Eisenhower is well remembered for correctly warning the public in his final address to the nation to “guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence…by the military-industrial complex.” In that same speech, Ike further cautioned that “we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.” It’s time to pay close attention to this second warning too.
No Drama, Not Even Angry
The BP oil disaster has been a divisive issue, but on one thing we’re all pretty much agreed: President Obama doesn’t give good mad.
Afghanistan’s Fool’s Gold
Here’s some free advice: Never buy shares in a goldmine from a guy operating out of a house trailer. Likewise, never buy a story from the Pentagon about an incredible discovery of gold in Afghanistan.
Shovel Ready
Bombs Bursting in Air
War has always boasted adherents. Think of the Kaiser, Ghengis Khan, Alexander, Hitler, Darius, Charlemagne, Stalin, etc. America’s foremost cheerleader was Teddy Roosevelt. He made no bones about the thrill of combat and conquest. He even went off to fight himself, an uncommon commitment among world leaders.
Immigrants Don’t Hog Farm Jobs
United Farm Workers members clearly have a sense of humor. Their “take our jobs” campaign invites and actually recruits the nation’s citizens and legal immigrants (including those who blame undocumented workers for America’s high unemployment rate) to get out into the fields and pick some lettuce. Or berries. Or broccoli.
Atrazine on the Rocks? No Thanks
Let’s see. If a potentially toxic weedkiller were polluting your drinking water, would you want the EPA to ignore independent studies about this or prefer that the agency just follow reports carried out with funding from companies that have a financial stake in this product.
Letters to the Editor: Kaul on Barton and God
As is generally the case, just about all our latest letters to the editor came in response to Donald Kaul’s OtherWords columns.
The Million-Dollar Penny
Every summer, several financial firms competing to get the banking business of the world’s mega millionaires release what amounts to scorecards on global wealth. These data-packed reports tally the current number of our international rich and super-rich, by nation and region.
