opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
Beirut 2020: A tale of two tragedies 75 years apart
Just one day after the horrific explosion in Beirut that brought about the deaths of more than 135 people, with thousands injured and at least 300,000 people left homeless, the world remembers the tragic events of 75 years ago when the United States unleashed an atomic bomb for the first time on Hiroshima, Japan.
By Steve Harrison6 years ago in The Swamp
Chaos and Chagrin
This is gonna be a spicy one, folks. Strap in. Seth Rogen really stepped in it. I mean, he really, really stepped in it. And just so you know, I don't want to be writing this. What I want to write is an analysis discussing The Avengers: Endgame as a spiritual successor to the Golem of Prague. And I will. Dibs. But for right now, I have to talk about a small mountain of middle-aged right-wing pissbaby pundits, exemplified by the dumbest of them, Jonathan Tobin; and young, overly-idealistic American leftists, many of whom aren't even Jewish, who wouldn't know or care anything about the Palestinian people were it not for the occupation, weighing in on a topic that is complexity itself, and reducing it to "Well, you shouldn't have done that thing back after the Shoah."
By Sophia-Helene Mees de Tricht6 years ago in The Swamp
Is Anarchy Always Against the Mainstream 2? [Updated Version]
Some time ago I blogged something called Is Anarchy Always Against the Mainstream? It began: "Supposedly, we live in a country threatened with chaos, and this chaos results from a lack of public order. In my opinion, this is only partly true. In reality, I think much — if not most — of the world’s chaos comes from people (be they influential or otherwise) trying to impose their perception of order on things." I also emphasized this wasn't meant to be "a vague, blanket condemnation..."
By Wade Wainio6 years ago in The Swamp
Trump Is Going To Win This Election
Mainstream is telling us that Donald Trump will lose the election. Still, the hard truth is Trump has all a populist need: fear, an active social movement, and silent voters. The same motto of his "revolution" in 2016. Victory speech had all the ingredients as the called for action, or the country's unity, in the same way, that far-right populist talked along with History.
By Sigmund Carlson6 years ago in The Swamp
Unemployment
So one of the things that is becoming a political hot button topic is the unemployment benefits. Where people have filed for unemployment benefits and were getting the extra $600 per week from the federal government. Now that is going to be gone, it seems there is a panic in the air on what next will happen. Well from someone that has on unemployment before I can probably give you first hand experience. The only difference was, when I was on unemployment there wasn't any global pandemic going on. Does that mean you can't survive without that extra $600? Actually you can. It may be hard work and having to make certain adjustments but it is possible. The problem is we have politicians that has never been on unemployment to know what it's really like. They want to use the unemployment as another form of welfare where right now the requirement is just be afraid to go back to work. They use that extra $600 dollars a week to so call gamble with the American peoples lives. So let's clear up some things about unemployment that is not being told to the general public.
By Blanche Smith-Mighty6 years ago in The Swamp
Why has it become wrong to be "normal"?
Why has it become wrong to be “normal”? Democracy is now at the mercy of the rush to be different. The media seems intent on making being “normal, or average, or as most others, or part of the majority,” into something to be avoided. The media has lauded dissent and being different, seemingly just for the sake of it, and makes being part of the majority almost a crime. It is not that the media in general praises genius or original thinking, it is praises anything that is unusual.
By Peter Rose6 years ago in The Swamp
America & its Lack of Compassion for its Own Citizens
The most iconic duo is America, and its lack of compassion for its own citizens. Since coronavirus changed the course of all of our lives just a few months ago it has become abundantly clear that we the people do not matter at all. $1,2000 for four months, that is, if you got a stimulus check at all. Right now 28 million Americas are at risk of eviction. 51 Million Americans are unemployed. Even if you are lucky enough to either have kept you job or been hired within the last few months just going to work every day, you are at risk of contracting a deadly virus that you might pass on to your loved ones because your fellow citizens don’t want to do the bare minimum of wearing a mask because their rights are being ‘threatened.’
By Emily Jacoby6 years ago in The Swamp
The Forever Iconic Duo of Liberty and Justice
As we stood for the pledge every school day, some with hands over hearts, the last part of the Pledge of Allegiance is what sticks in the mind. “...Liberty and justice…” remain the two pieces that weave the fabric of this great nation together. Though long sought after and fought over, these two ideals continue to be the iconic duo that permeates through American culture.
By Skyler Saunders6 years ago in The Swamp
Threats against free thought
Above is a simplistic illustration of what appears to be happening in America right now. The Covid-19 pandemic, along with much needed attention on racial injustice that has plagued our country since its inception, has shed light on a shift that has been taking place in American politics for over a decade; an increasing level of distrust has permeated our democracy. Today, the two sides are unable to agree even on facts, as issues of public health have become hyper-politicized, mobilized by the rampant spread of misinformation and fake news stories via social media platforms. It's scary to witness the ways in which partisanship has fogged the thinking of otherwise rational people. Unfortunately, these factors have inspired an outright demonization of others based on their political leanings; this is something we should all be fighting against.
By Jacob Cardenas6 years ago in The Swamp
It’s NOT systemic racism.
The way our government assistance programs are designed counter rather support a persons efforts to better themselves. These democratic programs are, I believe, intended to do just that. On the surface, the programs are altruistic and most decent human beings agree that we, as a society, should help those less fortunate than us — especially children and disabled individuals. But beneath the surface, a much more sinister plot exists.
By Allison Phillips6 years ago in The Swamp
