Here’s something we see commonly on social media. Do you agree sir or madam, completely ignorant of basic biology though you may be, that there are only two genders?
This is actually a very interesting topic among scientifically literate people, as shown here, from the National Institutes of Health.
The reader who supplied the meme here doesn’t know that I’m one of very few Americans between the ages of 15 and 90 who’s never spent a dime at Starbucks.
For me, it’s a blend of boycotting and common sense. Make yourself a cup of coffee or two at home (at 30 cents apiece), or at the office (for free), and yes, stay away from abusive corporations for reasons of decency.
The United States federal government will soon abdicate its role in ensuring that all young Americans are academically prepared to be successful in their lives.
Of course, we all saw this coming from Trump’s first term in office, where his Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos (member of the 88th-richest family in America with an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion), did everything within her power to reduce our public educational system to rubble, in favor of charter, private, and religious schools.
From the department’s website (soon to vanish):
What Is the U.S. Department of Education?
The U.S. Department of Education is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assists the president in executing his education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress.
This raises an interesting question: What are Trump’s education policies for the nation?
If you run a corporation and you have a penchant for criminal behavior, this is a great time to be alive.
FWIW, I boycott Amazon, etc. 365 days per year, year after year, because I don’t approve of how Bezos behaves on this planet, and in particular how he treats his employees.
The most amazing thing about Trump is his capacity to make (some) people believe that he cares about anything and anyone but himself.
His entire adult life is proof that, if it doesn’t make him richer and more powerful, he couldn’t give a damn about it.
The creator of the meme here has every right to his pessimism, and I’ll grant that there is a great deal of evidence that he’s correct, especially given what’s happening regarding the planet’s environment and the political scene here now in the United States.
But the final chapter hasn’t been written. There are eight billion people on this planet, and the vast majority of them are good. As you read this, keep in mind that there are more than 200,000 groups operating on Earth whose purpose is environmental and social justice.
Buckminster Fuller was a one-of-a-kind American intellectual: architect, engineer, and philosopher. As shown at left, he had what today might be considered something of a socialist, or perhaps Quaker or Buddhist perspective on life on planet Earth, urging us all to treat one another with equal importance, given that this is what’s necessary for us to create a sustainable world.
Consider for a moment how completely absent we all are from that perspective today, with our American leadership featuring Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
As shown here, the United States ranks #22 in the world in terms of quality of life. Not too bad, actually.
But what direction is this headed? Will life for the common America be better or worse, given:
• The inflation that is predicted to ravage our economy?
• The alignment with Putin/Russia and the disconnection from NATO and our European allies?
• The further destruction of public education?
• The rejection of science that affects public health and the environment?
• Social security is under attack?
I guess we’ll see.
At left are the words of French physician and politician Claude Malhuret, member of the Senate since 2014.
Like most Europeans, the French have a certain grace and intelligence; they are completely repelled by traitorous slobs like Donald Trump.
