95 North. . . The Newspaper

Below, I'd like to post an exchange between an NPR host (Ari Sharpio) and the mayor of Stockton, CA, Michael Tubbs. Sharpio's line of questioning poses age-old,  traditional arguments against the idea of a universal, basic income. I think Tubbs does an excellent job at beating back the attack lines, as he frames UBI as part of a larger package of basic human rights that affirm humanity dignity, worth, and value: SHAPIRO: One principle of capitalism is that if you work hard, you'll get ahead. And you can argue whether or not that that's true. But the idea is that it gives people incentive to go to a job every day and earn money, even though it may be an unpleasant experience. This program and the idea of a guaranteed basic income seemed to guarantee that people will get money whether or not they earn it. Does that undermine the incentive for people to have a job and be productive members of society? TUBBS: I would disagree. But I also think as a human being, the...

Should an American political party have a truly democratic nominating process? Or should party insiders and bosses select candidates? It seems to be not only fairly obvious that a democratic nominating practice not only produces a strong candidate in a general election, but would be the ethically sound, democratic, and fair thing to do. But some dark forces are arguing otherwise. Somehow,  this piece  in the New York Times argues that the process should become less democratic because "party bosses have more knowledge" of who is and isn't capable of potentially holding office.  The authors of this NYT piece claim that part of our problem is the "insistence that parties be run democratically" and that there is "real danger" in holding fair elections. Excuse me while I vomit in disgust. It's true- the Republican party has a more democratic nominating process. Reading this piece by less than admirable Democratic party members makes it clear th...

With the recent gathering of the Value Voters Summit in Washington D.C. this week, I've been contemplating the marriage of Donald Trump, the right wing of American politics, and Evangelicals. I'm still puzzled. Christians love Donald Trump? The guy who  says he never has sought forgiveness  and loves the book  "2 Corinthians"  and loves to take communion, or as he puts it  "drink my little wine and my little cracker" . How far should a religious community really go in order to have access to power? Does this Donald Trump worship constitute idolatry? I think the evangelical community has really done themselves some serious long-term damage that they won't be able to recover from. Donald Trump is undoubtedly morally bankrupt, egotistical, and shockingly unaware of even the most basic tenets of Christianity.The fact is, he has exploited religious relgious right, used them as pawns. They have made a deal with the devil. Is he a Christian? Do...

My NYT comment on  this article .  Daniel   Wallingford, CT   47 minutes ago From various documentaries to stories from journalists who have been given access to North Korea since 2008, the script has been the same. "Visitors" are given a tour of the country designed to make North Korea look prosperous, Anti-American propaganda fills the streets, and government minders follow journalists at every turn. A great example is this 2011 Vice News Documentary:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24R8JObNNQ4 The point is, North Korea never seems to change. The unimaginable repression. The anti-American rhetoric. Threats of war. The malnourished, isolated, and information poor populace. President Trump is the only wild card in this equation, a joker that risks a dangerous war with the most predictable regime on the planet. I am dismayed that Mr. Kristof is sounding the drums of war based on his "feelings" regarding the first visit he's had...

There's a narrative out there that is pushing some sort of line about our "depleted military". It constitutes an outright lie.  In fact, we could cut our military budget IN HALF and still be the largest military spender in the entire world.  Put another way, the United States spends more on it's military than the world' s next seven largest spenders. . . COMBINED.  I think it is safe to say that this emphasis on war constitutes a moral crisis of epic proportions.  Circling back to some MLK quotes from 1968:  " A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” "Now, when I say questioning the whole society, it means ultimately coming to see that the problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated. ” For further reading, the N...

I recently read  The Nine Nations of North America  by Colin Woodward. Woodward argues that the United States is really just a federation of nations held together by a common government. Thus, the features of that government have been compromise and division. Here, the framework runs much deeper than the Sesame street inspired red state/blue state narrative that you hear on cable news. Instead, Woodward examines each of these 11 nations and how they live together. Compromise, alliances, war, it's all there if you look for it. These 11 distinct cultures and regions developed based on sentiments of their early settlers. As new immigrants moved in, they assimilated to the dominant culture. For example , "New Netherlands" which encompasses the great NYC area has long valued internationalism, social tolerance, capitalism, and materialism from the start. Neighboring Yankeedom's love for education, local politics, and a sense of moderation stands in sharp contrast to N...