Category Archives: Politics

These are very U.S. focused since I live here, we are the craziest nation on earth of developed countries, and have a hell of a lot of nuclear weapons

Book review of Hillbilly Elegy and why hillbillies voted for Trump

Source: David Horsey / Los Angeles Times Preface. I bought “Hillbilly Elegy: A memoir of a family and culture in crisis” because I’d like to understand why anyone would vote for Donald Trump. Before the election, it was well-known that … Continue reading

Posted in (Auto)biography, Human Nature, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The dangers of relativism, of not being able to criticize anyone or anything because all of our beliefs are equal

[ I’ve been criticized for attacking right-wing Republicans, fundamentalist Christians, astrology, medicinal quackery, and so on.  This is dangerous nonsense. It means I can’t criticize Hitler, because after all, he was a product of his times.  I can’t tell my … Continue reading

Posted in Critical Thinking, Human Nature, Politics, Religion | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Republican party platform: the most extreme ever

Preface. There are two articles below: the New York Times editorial on the 2016 Republican platform (they call Republicans Extremists too), followed by the 50 platform policies. Basically, the GOP 2016 platform would make Christianity the official American religion, replace … Continue reading

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Book review: the politics of California’s central valley levees

Preface. This is a book review of Robert Kelly’s “Battling the Inland Sea”.  But it is much more than that, better than any book I know if explaining the human nature of “conservatism vs liberalism”.  It drives me nuts that … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Agriculture Infrastructure, Dams, Earthquakes, Floods, Politics, Sea Level Rise | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Book review: the politics of California’s central valley levees

The growth of incarceration in the U.S. Causes and consequences. National Research Council 2014

Preface. This National Research Council 465-page report may be the most comprehensive study of the U.S. prison system there is.  It will make you cry. I’ve excerpted about one-sixth of it below.  It is shocking that the “U.S. penal population … Continue reading

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