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The Germans 1933-45

Each act, each occasion, is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and the next. You wait for one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join with you in resisting somehow. You don’t want to act, or even talk alone; you don’t want to “go out of your way to make trouble.” Why not?—Well, you are not in the habit of doing it. And it is not just fear, fear of standing alone, that restrains you; it is also genuine uncertainty. Uncertainty is a very important factor, and, instead of decreasing as time goes on, it grows. Outside, in the streets, in the general community, “everyone” is happy. One hears no protest, and certainly sees none. You speak privately to your colleagues, some of whom certainly feel as you do; but what do they say? They say, “It’s not so bad” or “You’re seeing things” or “You’re an alarmist.” And you are an alarmist. You are saying that this must lead to this, and you can’t prove it. These are the beginni...
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On the Role of Government

It's been a while since the last time I posted, and a lot has happened that was worthy of a post. The number of things I never thought would be acceptable in politics but now seem to happen on a daily basis is mind-boggling, and worse, they have a numbing effect. My biggest fear is how we're dropping our bar as a nation and getting used to this new "junior high" governing style. So I took time off from the blog, as I often do when I feel myself falling into a more tribal state. Now here I am again to extend a hand to anyone willing to read with an open mind, and since there are many people more qualified than I am to dissect the pros and cons of legislation, I will not focus on that. What I want to write about is something that doesn't require you to be a scholar or an expert and that is human decency, ethics, leadership and all the ancient bits that are at the heart of politics. Let's call this Politics 101. I actually hold politics in high regard and conside...
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Standing Up For Hate

Ever since the events that occurred at Charlottesville the threat of ethno-nationalist movements such as the KKK, Vanguard America, (Neo)Nazis, the Alt-Right and other right wing extremists is finally getting the attention it deserves. With the increased publicity came the public backlash and many companies who had some connection to the groups have decided to terminate business with them. Some of these companies are content-sharing tools and ethno-nationalists and others individuals have brought up the argument that it is wrong for companies to "shut down" speech just because they disagree with it. The slippery slope argument is that today they'll shut nazis down and tomorrow they may shut you down. It is quite interesting that people who believe Hobby Lobby, a private business, should have a right to a moral stand now feel other corporations should be neutral platforms of speech. It is also important to remember that no private business is forced to provide a platform ...
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A Quick Word About The Lukewarm Left

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I am not religious. As a matter of fact I am agnostic as I lack the gift of faith but I do have respect for the figure of Jesus and his teachings and I'm familiar with the scripture. So it is not surprising to me that when I saw some people trying to somehow legitimize the claims of white supremacists as reactionaries to the left I thought of Rev 3:15-16. "I know your deeds,  that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!   So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." There's something to be learned from this. There is value to being rational, tempered and objective. There is value to listening to the other side and not letting emotions get the best of us and I like to think of myself as such a person even though I allow myself to feel raw and uncensored. I do this because it is equally important to be human and I don't want to lose that instinct and the capacity to be outraged by ...
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The Rally At Charlottesville

The year is 2017 and I am writing a day after the rally "Unite the Right" at Charlotesville, VA. If you do not follow the news you may not know that hundreds of white supremacists carrying citronella torches marched last night at the University of Virginia. Some of their chants, which were filmed on video, include "white lives matter", "you (sometimes heard as Jews) will not replace us", and "blood and soil", the last one being an allusion to "Blut und Boden" from Nazi Germany. Perhaps the news I consume and the people I follow influence my perception of the gravity of the situation. I'm aware that the KKK and other groups with similar views have always existed and marched in the US. Despite that, I can't help feeling genuine shock at the events, and my perception of these groups is that they have become more confident and brazen in their views. They have reason to feel confident. David Duke, Andrew Anglin, Rocky Suhaida, Alex...
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American Values

American values are of a universal nature. Our belief in a right to individual freedom and our commitment to justice, the pursuit of happiness, and equality are the values that comprise the fabric of our nation. These values have found fertile ground in the minds of everyone who dreams of a better world for everyone. We share in common this spirit of progress and reason, which compels us to protect those who are most vulnerable, and it is also in this spirit that we must continue to move forward into the future. Some have forgotten this simple lesson. They are suspicious of anyone who does not look like them and assert that the beliefs of certain people are not compatible with American values. The values of this country are not found in how we dress, what we look like, our faith, or how we speak. The values of our country are found in our treatment of each other. They're reflected in our willingness to accept that even though we may not always agree with each other, as long as we ...
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