If money were no issue, while these numbers on defense spending might seem amazing, we might also just shrug and say no big deal. But this all has to be paid somehow, and has to be paid by us eventually. The problem is, I believe, that government spending and borrowing are a mystery to most
Category: Politics
Extraordinary Defense Spending
I am troubled and seriously concerned by a news story I heard this morning on NPR. This isn’t exactly a surprise, because it’s no real secret that things have been getting out of control. Nonetheless the actual figures are staggering. While the story was about defense spending, the real issue is runaway government spending, and
How We Got Into This Mess in the Middle East
I studied Islam and the Middle East for a class I took recently. I want to pass along the basic understanding I gained as to why relations to the U.S. and other western powers are such as they are in that part of the world. It is, of course, rooted in history. One of Islam’s
Death Penalty? (Part 2)
In a previous article, I began to discuss the question which was posed to me, “Is it wrong that we’re happy that Saddam was killed?” In that article I discussed whether the “we” in the question referred to us as Christians or citizens of the U.S. and if that makes a difference. Now I will
Immigration
Immigration has been a hot topic recently. To be honest, I’m not completely sure what all the issues and arguments are on each side. As I recall, last year there was some political pressure to crack down on immigration and illegal aliens. Though legislation would apply to any non-citizen, concern seems to be mostly about
Whose Response? (Part 1)
Recently I was in conversation where the question was posed, “Is it wrong that we’re happy that Saddam was killed?” I think this is a valid question worth addressing. However, in order to discuss it, there is one other question that needs addressed first. This article will cover this preliminary question, while I will address
American Paranoia
I wanted to share what I wrote in response to receiving the email forward described at this link: http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/mexicoflag.asp. This is a topic which I had been planning to write about anyway, and this made for a good opportunity. I am quite disturbed about this email. I am appalled at the attitudes of fear and
March Participation
Yesterday I participated in a march. It was the first time that I’ve done something like this. I recognize that I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about things, but I often don’t do anything (often I don’t know what to do). It was of course the march in support of immigrant rights. I
Homelessness Illegal
I was listening to NPR today, and a woman made the statement that, “Being homeless is illegal in the U.S.” and beyond that it is a crime to be poor in this country. I would agree, that is virtually is. Apparently, she had eventually been arrested for failing to pay tickets resulting from her sleeping
Government Preparedness and Response
“This is now the focus of this administration.” declared the president today during a press conference on hurricane Katrina and natural disasters in general. “We will root out all of these evils—hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, avalanches, tornadoes—we must not allow them to cause devastation unhindered. We will fight this war on natural disaster, and we