opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
All is Fair in Love and Markets
"Fundamentally, there are only two ways of co-ordinating the economic activities of millions. One is central direction involving the use of coercion - the technique of the army and of the modern totalitarian state. The other is voluntary co-operation of individuals - the technique of the market place."
By Carmelo San Paolo5 years ago in The Swamp
The Links in The Chain 🔗
Through self-examination, I have aborted. I consider myself an abortionist. The New Oxford American Dictionary’s meaning of abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy: the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus. Under this meaning, I have never aborted! Nor have I done so according to the Biblical definition, and or religious meaning, and understanding of abortion, which is “Simple the killing of a baby inside a mother’s womb, and a violation of thou shall not murder.” However, I have aborted humans by my treatment of them. Some intentional, and some unintentional. Some knowing, some not knowing. In my dismissal of them, via my body language, facial expression, my disposition, and attitude, and yes, to sum it up, I have aborted by my thoughts, words, and deeds. I terminated many human beings and possible relationships after they came into this world. That is far more reaching than just the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus.
By Terraine Smith5 years ago in The Swamp
Patriotism or Disrespect
Living in the State of Oregon there is a significant mix of thought patterns on what is or is not patriotic. Much of the state is made up of small, rural agricultural towns, with a few cities laying along the Interstate Five corridor and a couple in the Eastern part of the state, near large tourism areas.
By Jessica L Jackson5 years ago in The Swamp
ALL HAIL THE “DEMOCRACY”
In case one has zeal to dig a tad deeper, one can unfold the layers of patch-work, strategically carved into the top-democracies of world. Extrinsically these nations may hail themselves to be structured on citizen-will and as governments, “of the people, by the people and for the people”, yet, in case some valiant-soul makes an endeavor to lift the veil of such authorities, harsh realities hit hard. The regulated manipulation, which commences from the inception of election process, culminates in a collaboration of such homogenous groups, aiming solely for their own alleviation and making the best out for their generations to come. Consequently, not only the elements of “for” and “of” “the people” are lost in time; rather, these government are no longer “by” the people. On the contrary, politics becomes a family run business, wherein wealth and resources are amassed to elevate individuals’ generations to come. This in turn, leads to an establishment of secreted monarchy under the garb of democracy. Common man is, seemingly left, unaware, wanting and struggling to build golden pyramids for these “un-chosen” monarchs, whilst his own family suffers under the weight of these structures.
By Abhishek Goyal5 years ago in The Swamp
Will This Be The Summer Of Blood Version 2021?
It's Saturday morning, June the 5th, 2021 and it feels like it's still 2020, or rather I'm realizing that there's no sign of an end to the horror show that could be aptly titled America. Over the past years, we have all had to bear witness to the horrors of life in America. Police have been at the center of these controversial times in America as the public outcry for justice reform carries on. I honestly feel for the men and women who put on the badge and try to do the job every day. As a former Law Enforcement officer, I have fears for the future of policing and for those that might want to be in the profession. There just simply doesn't appear to be an end to the horror show that is life in America.
By Jason Ray Morton 5 years ago in The Swamp
Priceless Peace
If the Right is somewhat wrong, the Extreme Right is extremely wrong. As for the Left, it is mostly dead, and the Extreme Left is extremely wrong as well. Almost everyone on the Left and a few on the Right are talking about shalom (peace), which is surely a halom (dream) when both sides — there is actually more than one side on each side — are refusing to play footsie, cooperating instead with their pricks. But a ménage à trois implicating two pricks, or even a single one, seldom ends with the satisfaction of all parties. The two-state solution has become a wet dream, and the one-state solution is a cul-de-sac. The relocation of one side may be the only way out of the swamp of violence. But which side?
By Patrick M. Ohana5 years ago in The Swamp
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Some of my peers are hugely dissatisfied. With everything, really. And if they aren't currently dissatisfied with something, you can be sure they will find something to be dissatisfied with. Like private businesses enforcing mask-wearing on their premises even though the governor has been bullied into saying it's okay now. Or the fact that healthcare and schools and public transit still require them. Or that we don't have in-building learning for as many hours a week as our neighboring districts. As though butts in seats in a school building is the only useful criterion for learning.
By Jenn Kirkland5 years ago in The Swamp
The Slytherin Approach to History
Two recent news stories got me thinking about cancel culture from an odd perspective. One was the resurgence of calls to topple troublesome statues, this time about the Rhodes statue at Oxford again, and the other was the reported falling out between Stephen King and JK Rowling, owing to the latter’s controversial remarks about trans people. There may not appear to be much of a link here, other than a reminder that cancel culture isn't going away anytime soon, but it reminded me about how I used to feel about JK Rowling before she was cancelled, back when she was a prominent Twitterer and, quite frankly, a hero on the left for her takedowns of Trump, among others. To me, she essentially embodied all that online culture wars thrive on. Until, as is often the case these days, it came for her. And she saw the light. But what's this got to do with statues, you might ask? Well, the whole statue controversey brought to light an interpretation of the extreme negatives of this approach to history that I got from the 'Harry Potter' books, and one that I always found odd that JK Rowling didn't seem to espouse in her real-world politics until she she experienced the full force of it.
By Matty Long5 years ago in The Swamp
