When we think of slavery in our modern world, many of us, understanding as we do that the institution is illegal in every sovereign country on Earth, assume that it no longer exists.  Sadly, that’s not true; it’s estimated that are somewhere between 40 and 50 million people, spread around the globe, who are held against their will and forced to work.

I’m on the board of directors of a group called Slave Free Today, whose purpose is to eliminate slavery and forced labor from our home planet.  The group plays a key role in collecting and providing information to governments and the many NGOs that are involved in bringing this change about.

It’s possible that 2GreenEnergy readers may be in a position to help, via connecting me to folks who may be writing papers on relevant subjects.  Here’s a “call for submissions.

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If you’re wondering how it’s possible for the Republicans who are trying to dismantle Social Security and Medicare to remain viable candidates for re-election, it’s explained in the meme here.  They are simply lying to mainstream audiences.

Politicians have been lying since the dawn of time, but today’s GOP has taken this tradition to an entirely new level.

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Ha!

In truth, however, she’s not going to buy just any s***.

It needs to be something that could be believed to protect her against the socialist nation that the radical left is working so hard to fashion our country into.

This can include guns, survival equipment (especially portable generators), or bibles.

More likely, these fellas are asking for campaign contributions to elect congresspeople who will Make America Great Again, by banning abortion, removing LGBTQ rights, destroying public education, building a wall on the southern border, and ensuring that fossil fuels are used in perpetuity.

Of course, the single most obvious topic here is Trump 2024, and that means preventing the commies from prosecuting Trump for fraud, tax evasion, extortion, seditious conspiracy, stealing classified documents, and treason.

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The meme here is from a reader whose point is that Nikki Haley switches positions on important topics as easily as the wind shifts directions.

Hate to say it, but: obviously.

This forms an interesting dichotomy between her and politicians like Bernie Sanders, whose position of things like abortion rights, universal healthcare, quality education, etc., will not change a millimeter, regard of public opinion.

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Most Americans, and to a lesser degree, most living in the rest of the world, are frustrated by how long it’s taken the U.S. justice system to arrest Donald Trump for one (or several) of the crimes he committed while in office, or especially, in the period of time post the election during which he tried in earnest to overthrow the United States federal government.

Are we close to getting into the “car chase seen,” as suggested here? Maybe.

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Robert Heinlein was one of the “big three” American science fiction writers of the 20th Century, along with Arthur C. Clark and Isaac Asimov.  Like so many others of my (baby-boomer) generation, I loved his Stranger in a Strange Land.

On many matters, however, I disagree with him; at left is one.

Until recently, elementary school text books made it clear to young readers that the United States was a “melting pot,” meaning that immigrants from all around the globe could come here looking for a better life.  Of course, that was not a guarantee that all would be immediately accepted–quite to the contrary. (more…)

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What the popular novelist and playwright Kurt Vonnegut wrote here is one interpretation of our need for religion, and I regard him as one of the most astute observers of human civilization.

Yet I submit the the principal driver of religion is fear. People who are terrified of death, or even chaos, need to believe in a celestial big brother to keep them from danger.

The rest of us would prefer to live in a universe that actually makes sense, and we accept that if that universe is indifferent to our well-being, as it most certainly appears to be, so be it.

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As tensions between China and the United States rise, U.S. military equipment is flooding into Southeast Asia, in places like the Philippines, Okinawa, Australia, and Guam.

Some suggest that building embassies, so as better engage in diplomacy, is a stronger idea than increasing the our firepower of weapons of war.

To many of us, this military build-up defies common sense.  To the degree that China feels threatened, the probability of war increases, and vice versa.

As novelist Margaret Halsey said, “The crucial disadvantage of aggression, competitiveness, and skepticism as national characteristics is that these qualities cannot be turned off at five o’clock.” 

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I could be wrong, but I don’t think many people today accept what Arthur C. Clark said here.  I would guess that even the most pious folks out there recognize that there are atheists who are morally good, who live lives of kindness, honestly, and decency.

As with most aspects of religious, however, the devout tend not to examine this subject too closely.  If they did, they’d find themselves in the position that Bertrand Russell laid out in his talk (later transcribed and made available as an essay) “Why I’m Not a Christian.” (more…)

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From The Independent: ‘That can’t be good’: Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch spark reaction by sitting together at Super Bowl.

There are so many tragedies every day, all around us.  Some are localized and are barely worth noting. Others are huge, in terms of scope, duration, and overall impact on human civilization.

I would argue that Elon Musk’s turning out to be a despicable human being is an example of the latter.  I would say that about anyone worth $200 billion who chose not to address climate change or world hunger but decided to make the world (at least the United States) a more hateful and ignorant nation, by supporting Fox News and Donald Trump.

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