Photo credit: Center for American Progress via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-ND Four years to get their houses in order and take some controversial issues off the agenda could help the Democrats and Republicans to have a better debate in 2020. An article in the Chicago Sun-Times today points out that, although Bloomberg hasn’t announced yet,…
Overview: ISIS, Syria, Iraq, the Sunni, Shia and the Kurds in 23 minutes
Photo credit: quapan via Visual hunt / CC BY Given that the Islamic State (IS, ISIL, ISIS) is a hot button issue in just about every country in the world, I thought a little introduction might be helpful for some. It is difficult to understand the validity of a politician or pundit’s position, without knowing…
A peek through the crystal ball into a Bernie Sanders White House
Photo via Visualhunt A Bernie Sanders White House isn’t realistically going to happen. Even if he wins the Democratic nomination, which is still unlikely, he would have to beat the Republicans after pledging to raise taxes and basically acknowledging that foreign policy isn’t his strong suit. To make matters worse, if the Republican nominee is…
The placebo effect : Why fake medicines work, sometimes
Photo credit: SnaPsi Сталкер via Visual hunt / CC BY-ND The “health and wellness” market is flooded with medicines, treatments and supplements of dubious value. Many “alternative”, “naturopathic” or “holistic” treatments have been debunked or, at least, have very little evidence of effectiveness. Despite this, there are people who will swear to you that they…
Pride & Prejudice: Angry white voter edition
Photo credit: DonkeyHotey via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA Today on Twitter, Juliana Pache said “White people think pro-blackness is anti-white because pro-whiteness is rooted in racism & is synonymous with white supremacy & violence.” White people think pro-blackness is anti-white because pro-whiteness is rooted in racism & is synonymous with white supremacy & violence. —…
Basic Income Plus: A 21st century social safety net for everyone
Recently, the idea of a universal ‘basic income‘ has been popping up again. According to the Globe and Mail, Canada’s government is considering it as a way to fight poverty. In the United States, Silicon Valley types are embracing the idea and it seems to be growing in popularity, worldwide, among socialists and libertarians alike.…
Primer: What is socialism (and what is capitalism)?
Normally, I would go about my day assuming that everyone knows what socialism is and what capitalism is. However, yesterday I saw the hashtag #SocialistChecklist trending on Twitter and it was clear that many of the people contributing to it, regardless of their political position, weren’t really clear on what socialism is. Then, last night…
What is Zika virus and should you be worried about it?
Zika virus, as the video below explains, is relatively new to the western hemisphere and has been spreading quickly. The World Health Organization has gone so far as to declare a global emergency. However, at this point is is not clear exactly how dangerous it is or to whom. If you are a woman of…
Why I’m voting for Hillary Clinton
In recent years I’ve found myself increasingly alienated from ‘progressives.’ It is not that I disagree with their ultimate aims, but I take issue with their absolutism, their intolerance of those who step out of line on any issue, their list of perceived enemies and the fact that in many cases they are pursuing outdated…