In addition to what Spinoza said here, we have Hegel’s clever remark that “the only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.”

Regardless, what we’re running into here and now in the United States is unprecedented in American history, which means that even a robust understanding of history would be of no help whatsoever. Since the country was established in 1776, there have been exactly zero attempts to overthrow the federal government–until now, of course.

Here we have a former president inventing lies about the validity of an election in an illegal attempt to remain in power.  We might think that effort failed, but it may be too early to make that claim.

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Reader Marv Werlinger writes: I like reliable power. Coal and nuclear. Hydro-electric, very good. Limit wind and solar because they are reliably unreliable when you need them most. Keep oil and gas. We can’t afford not to keep our energy cost’s (sic) down especially for transportation. I don’t want to hear from tree huggers and will not respond!

Well Marv, thanks for your input.  Fortunately for all life forms on Earth, all scientifically literate people on the planet recognize the need to transition towards renewables.  Sorry to know that you’re not one of us.

Perhaps studying up on the subject wouldn’t hurt.

 

 

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If you’d like some insight into what’s happening in the airline industry and how it affects its customers, I recommend the video linked here.

Please note that the trends that former labor secretary Robert Reich identifies here cross over into other consumer-facing sectors of our economy, e.g., food and paper goods.

Brilliant work.

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In response to the meme here, Eddy Oriente Balzola writes: Not when they act like thugs. Otherwise, respect indeed.
Exactly, Eddy. All good people respect soldiers and police personnel, but, at the same time, hold them accountable for abiding by the law.
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I haven’t spent a dime in a Home Depot in decades.

I hope readers feel and act the same.

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This from writer/journalist Jake Sherman.

It’s hard to be shocked by any element of Speaker Mike Johnson’s behavior, and his protecting a criminal is just one example.

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Here, Frederick Douglass provides us one of the best justifications for investment in quality education.

We’re raising a generation of people who are going to be unable to compete in the global economy, and have tendencies towards racism, violence, and all the other components of Trumpism.

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The author of the meme here makes a good point.

But we need to consider cruelty and callousness as well.

Stupid and/or mean. Preferably both.

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The thought expressed here represents a serious challenge for humankind, and it’s precisely the mechanism that keeps Trumpism so firmly rooted in place.  The MAGA crowd is organized in lockstep around the principles of hate, violence, and exclusion.

As MLK put it, “Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”

It’s not an easy task.

 

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A reader notes: Bravo! Hats off to Alberta Canada for standing up against the climate change insanity being foisted on them by their federal government.

Alberta is Canada’s largest oil producing province, providing 79.2% of Canadian oil production.

But I’m sure that’s a coincidence.

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