The Trade War Declaration “When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win.” So said Donald Trump in a tweet on March 2, 2018. Previously in January he had placed a 30% tariff on foreign made… More
The Sugar High from the 2017 Tax Cut Bill
The Sugar High in Children Few would deny the relatively immediate satisfaction of finishing a piece of sugar-laden cheesecake or dish of chocolate ice cream. But many parents share the common belief that providing too much sugar causes their children to become hyperactive. Yet numerous studies have demonstrated there is no scientific basis for that… More
Nationalism—The Gathering Storm
Nationalism and World War One The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 was the spark that set off WWl. However, historians suggest that Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism (known as MAINS) were the underlying cause. Some might argue that it was principally nationalism that fueled the seeds of conflict. Nationalists… More
Truth, Facts and Life — Casualties of Vitriolic Partisanship
Vitriolic Partisanship Donald Trump declared his candidacy for president in 2015 with vitriolic partisanship. Since then, the words truth and fact have taken on new meaning. Truth once meant that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality. Fact once meant something that actually exists; reality; truth. The words were virtually interchangeable, but… More
The Ball is in Your Court, Chief Justice John Roberts
The Idiom The sport of either tennis or basketball provides the idiom, “the ball is in your court.” In simple terms, it means that regardless of how we got to this point, it’s your responsibility now. By addressing this statement to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, it has a very specific meaning. Merrick Garland… More
The Black Klansman and Today’s Racism
The Movie Last week I was asked to join friends to see Spike Lee’s movie, The Black Klansman. Though I knew little about the movie, I did want to spend time with friends, so I went along. The movie is based on the memoir of Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs… More