This is the nineteenth and final part of the serialization of All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (Berrett-Koehler, 2006). The ideas in this book are further developed in my recent novel The Rowan Tree. AFTERWORD: ALL RISE FOR DIGNITY If there is no struggle, there is no progress....This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and … [Read more...] about All Rise for Dignity
Reaction pours in on NBA’s Adam Silver’s breathtaking lifetime ban for Donald Sterling
Damn, Why Didn’t I Think Of This?
The inestimable Rod Dreher finally figures out who Para Salin is. … [Read more...] about Damn, Why Didn’t I Think Of This?
BREAKING: NBA Bans Clippers Owner Sterling “for life” due to racist comments (UPDATED wil Silver VIDEO)
Breaking News -- and it's a huge sports and general media story. CNN reports: The National Basketball Association has banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from basketball for life and fined him $2.5 million racist remarks attributed to him in recordings posted online, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Tuesday. Here's Silver's press conference which was … [Read more...] about BREAKING: NBA Bans Clippers Owner Sterling “for life” due to racist comments (UPDATED wil Silver VIDEO)
Poll: Democrats in danger in 2014 as Obama’s poll numbers fall
In a poll that will justifiably raise concerns among Democrats, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that Democrats are increasingly at risk in the 2014 mid-term elections as President Barack Obama's polling numbers go south. But this poll is even more bad news than that: it specifically asks whether voters would like a Republican Congress to check Obama's agenda -- and … [Read more...] about Poll: Democrats in danger in 2014 as Obama’s poll numbers fall
Conservative Victims And Science Fiction Fandom
In principle I agree with the general argument made by Glenn Reynolds that politics doesn't belong in science fiction, but knowing how conservative love to claim to be victims, I am skeptical as to the circumstances he described. He wrote: That's certainly been the experience of Larry Correia, who was nominated for a Hugo this year. Correia, the author of numerous highly … [Read more...] about Conservative Victims And Science Fiction Fandom
Sterling’s Message
Sterling's Message By Peter Funt The issue brought to light in the Donald Sterling matter is this: neither passing legislation nor even electing a black president can cleanse all minds of evil thoughts. Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, is alleged to have made racist remarks about African-Americans. Considering Sterling's past behavior, … [Read more...] about Sterling’s Message
K A-J pretty much nails it
"It's time to look at ourselves — and our collective moral outrage — in the mirror, says former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar," in Time. Couldn't agree more. Abdul-Jabbar lambastes the American habit of finger-wagging. Our fingers are, of course, controlled by the media. Where I jump off the wagonload of self-congratulation is the point at which we elect lawmakers who … [Read more...] about K A-J pretty much nails it
Y Is For Yodel
I do suppose Yodel is an obvious choice for "Y Is For" but I decided to combine a couple items today. This month marks the 50th anniversary if the Disney attraction "It's A Small World" and if you thought the original song was an ear-worm wait until you sample this one I do know many people contend the song is annoying but it seems few of them can listen to … [Read more...] about Y Is For Yodel
Cartoon: Donald Sterling
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Donald Sterling
Sponsors slam-dunk Clippers amid racism furor
Sponsors slam-dunk Clippers amid racism furor (via AFP) Wary sponsors lined up to dump the Los Angeles Clippers as pressure mounted over racist remarks allegedly made by the NBA team's owner, the embattled billionaire Donald Sterling. Among them was a water brand owned by rap music star Sean "Diddy" Combs… … [Read more...] about Sponsors slam-dunk Clippers amid racism furor
My Friend Jack
Although I have known Jack -- Jack W. Robinson -- for more than 10 years, I have known him real well only for the last four years or so. The fact that I grew so fond of him in such a short period of time speaks volumes of Jack. For a good part of those years, Jack has been struggling with the kind of serious medical problems which would have brought most people down a long … [Read more...] about My Friend Jack
How To Get Rich From Fringe Politics
Mere millionaire Foster Friess addressing Tea Party Patriots in early 2011. Phoenix. The news is that the "head" of the Tea Party Patriots took home a cool $450K from the allegedly oppressed and targeted cluster of 501s legally constituted as the fictitious entity(ies) Tea Party Patriots, while the tea party groups aren't using their cash to support candidates ... Tea … [Read more...] about How To Get Rich From Fringe Politics
Thought Experiments
Over at OTB Steven Taylor discusses Thomas Hobbes and liberty. Certainly a worthy discussion. In response to a comment I made critical of Hobbes Taylor replies that Hobbes was was simply doing "thought experiments." What an interesting idea. Philosophy has never been more than "thought experiments." The interpretation of history usually turns out to be a "thought … [Read more...] about Thought Experiments
When Free Speech Costs Double
Dividing 30 Rock By 15 Minutes of Fame It's The Call Of The Wilding TV Hosts The View From The Virgin Islands By John McCarthy TMV Columnist All the world's a stage, but the modern American media business is but a shill game. So Tina Dupuy is right to make a distinction between Free Speech and Free Enterprise. The two things aren’t related as it turns out (not … [Read more...] about When Free Speech Costs Double
The racists among us
WASHINGTON -- Let's not pretend that deadbeat rancher Cliven Bundy and basketball team owner Donald Sterling are the last two racists in America. They have company. I hear regularly from proud racists who send me -- anonymously -- some of the vilest and most hateful correspondence you could imagine. You'll have to trust me about the content; this stuff, mostly vulgar … [Read more...] about The racists among us
Cartoons: Popes Canonized
Three cartoonists' views of Popes being canonized: These cartoons are licensed to run on The Moderate Voice. See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Popes Canonized
US Imposes Additional Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine Crisis
President Obama kept his word and imposed additional sanctions against Vladimir Putin's inner circle. The Treasury Dept. has released a statement: WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated seven Russian government officials, including two key members of the Russian leadership’s inner circle, and 17 entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) … [Read more...] about US Imposes Additional Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine Crisis
The Death Of American Democracy
It took generations for historians to understand that the Civil War was a great deal more than a struggle over slavery, and that there were economic and social factors of arguably equal importance that shaped that bloody conflict and the last half of 19th century America. Similarly, it will take historians many years -- if not necessarily generations -- to conclude that the … [Read more...] about The Death Of American Democracy
X Is For Xenon
X is one of the letters I wasn't sure about in terms of topic. Not that many words start with X and things like X is for X-Ray or X Marks The Spot seemed overdone. Then I came across the idea of Xenon. For those who don't know Xenon is an element, one of the noble gases. It is used in a number of applications ranging from lasers to medical imaging. It is used in astronomy … [Read more...] about X Is For Xenon