Are These People Hopeless?

I've never agreed with those who say that America is inherently racist. It's true that America does have a racist problem but I thought we were making progress. I was going to write about Cliven Bundy, the "militia" leader who's been illegal grazing cattle on public (that is our land) and got into a confrontation with Federal authorities. Bundy
has revealed himself to be a racist claiming that Black people were better off under slavery.

Recently, however, Donald Sterling the real estate tycoon and owner of the LA Clippers, was caught on tape making hateful remarks about Black people. This is from someone who employs many African Americans. I guess, that's why racism persists. It serves to foster a sense of "white solidarity" between rich fat cats like Sterling and small time losers like Bundy.

We Can Stop Taking David Brooks Seriously

David Brooks is one of those conservative pundits who seem to hold himself a cut above the typical yack mouths who appear on, say, Fox News. Last Sunday, however, his performance on Meet the Press, calls into question whether he's really that bright. Brooks, in a rambling attack on the administration's foreign policy, accused President Obama of having a "manhood problem." Now, it's clear that Brooks probably gets paid by the word, so he has to keep thinking of stuff to say just for the sake of it. But if he comes across like a boor, maybe he should hire a ghost writer. Or if he really thinks it's a "manhood" problem, he should go to Donetsk and face down the Russian army by dropping his pants.

The Problems of Longevity

It's ironic that with everyone living longer the problem of caring for the elderly is posing challenges for our society that unfortunately are not being addressed. Personally, I don't think that the challenge of providing the elderly with decent care should be based on purely economic considerations. The obsession with "productivity" in practice amounts to trying to get more revenue with fewer workers. Standard economics does not consider that making, for example, teachers work with more students or nurses attend more patients might actually degrade the quality of service. This is a question we need to address because we are all headed there someday.

How Rational is Reason?

If there is an "Libertarian" publication I suppose it might be Reason magazine. Ironically, it shows the follies of Libertarian thinking. The recent article "Libertarianism Is More Than Just Rejecting Force" by Sheldon Richman which supposedly deals with the issue " Are there distinctly libertarian grounds for disapproving of racist conduct that does not involve the use of force?" Libertarians supposedly oppose the use of force against anyone anywhere. Who could argue with that? The problem always comes when applying abstract principles to the complicated realities of the actual world. Richman concludes that:

" Libertarians should have no trouble condemning racism in terms of their political philosophy while emphasizing that nonviolent racism can and, under appropriate circumstances, should be met only by nonviolent — and specifically, nonstate — countermeasures."

Let's remember how many people were beaten, tortured and killed trying to engage in non-violent resistance against racism.

The deeper problem is that Richman doesn't mention the reality of racism; how it wasn't simply a matter of "liking" or "disliking" certain groups of people, but rather of maintaining people in a subordinate position; whether as slaves, as "second class" citizens, or simply as scapegoats for the established regime. Richman's article is another example of the Libertarian tendency to ignore concrete reality and wander into an abstract fantasy land.

Are You Outraged Yet?

Back in February there was widespread outraged when Ethan Couch, the son of a wealthy Texas family, got of with probation even after he killed four people while driving drunk. His lawyers invented some kind of cockamamie "affluenza" defense which is absolute garbage. Except when it justifies the rich getting away with literal murder. Now there's a case even more revolting. Robert H. Richards IV , heir to the DuPont chemical fortune, sexually assaulted his infant daughter but served no jail time. How's that for special treatment?

It is clear that the rich have gotten out of control, when they can kill and rape with impunity. It's clear what we need to do: bring down the rich!