Category: Politics

Globalization, Coups, and the Consequences of Voting No

The United States government is currently attempting to effect “regime change” in Venezuela. To put it bluntly, we’re attempting to overthrow their government and install our own guy. The government, led by President Maduro, is socialist, i.e., on the left side of politics. The right wing “opposition” is led by a 35 year old newcomer named Guaido, who was educated in Washington, DC at George Washington University and wants to pursue the kinds of neoliberal, capitalist-friendly policies that are in favor in the US and EU. The President was duly elected. Opposition leader Guaido has simply declared himself “interim” president. The United States, and all the other globalized economies (Canada, France, England, Germany) have instantly “recognized” this self-appointed leader as the legitimate ruler of Venezuela. No votes were deemed necessary. Read More

Can Immigration Be Fixed?  Yes It Can!

After listening to Trump’s speech on immigration on Monday night and the Democrats’ response to it, I got to wondering what a humane and effective immigration policy might be. Many people seem to think immigration can’t be fixed. I believe it can.

Here are my thoughts, in the form of a convenient, ten point program: Read More

An Easy Solution to the Healthcare Problem

Every time an employer issues a paycheck, they record two sets of deductions: one for Social Security and the other for Medicare. There’s actually a third deduction for federal tax but that one doesn’t matter for our purposes. What I’m getting at is that every employer already takes out money from employees’ check for social programs. We’re used to this system and guess what? it sort of works. So if health care is so important that every single person must have it no matter what, then why not treat basic health care the same way we do Social Security and Medicare, and just deduct it, proportionate to how much each person makes, from their pay. Read More

DACA and the Dreamers — Let Them Be Americans

I’ve never been a supporter of wide open immigration.  Without some controls over who comes to our country and how many, there’s simply no way workers aren’t going to be hurt — American and immigrant alike. But the case of DACA and the Dreamers is different, for all the reasons we’ve heard, not least of which is that they’re here, have been here, and will continue to be here whether we give them legal status or not.  Immigration policy prior to Obama’s DACA order was to deport them.  After DACA, the government backed off deportation and instead gave them work permits.  Neither is a real solution — one is draconian, the other temporary.  A more effective response to their situation would not be to deport them or relegate them to long term resident status but for them to become naturalized citizens. And therein lies the rub — according to current immigration law, they can’t. Read More