opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
Alternative Reality
Next time you feel too sane, check out flatearth101.com. (Don’t worry, I’m going somewhere productive with this.) This particular splinter of the Flat Earth “movement” has helpfully provided, among other things, a list of 200 “proofs” that the earth is flat, a lurid explanation of the motives underpinning the grand round-earth conspiracy, and at the end of it all, a link to an entire site devoted to their line of “Truth Smacks” trail mix.
By Joe Draper4 years ago in The Swamp
“Freedom” is a group project
Please think long and hard before you brush off masks and vaccines as “personal choices.” Hairstyle is a personal choice. Diet is a personal choice. Whether or not to wear sunglasses is a personal choice. Having children is a personal choice.
By Joe Draper4 years ago in The Swamp
The Failure of Hashtags #prayfor, #justicefor, why don't they work?
#prayfor, #justicefor, how many times have we seen this tag on social media platforms for the tragedies caused by extremists. The recent one is #JusticeforPriyantha which is now trending because a citizen of Sri Lanka(a country in Asia) got murdered by fanatics based on a blasphemy charge.
By Wide Writer4 years ago in The Swamp
We Need to Reinstate the Draft Before We Jump Into Ukraine
The ink’s not quite dry on the pullout from Afghanistan before US officials are looking to make the world safe for democracy in another corner of the world. What’s mind-boggling is the fact that fifty percent of Americans support this initiative — meaning let’s send other people’s kids to Ukraine so we can crank up the military-industrial complex and give our economy a great big boost.
By Gary Janosz4 years ago in The Swamp
Utopia For Realists: Compassionate Capitalism Can Save A World In Crisis
Neoliberalism has brought the world to crisis It is an understatement to say that the world is in crisis. Indeed, from climate change to gross inequality and wide inequities to conflicts and war creating desperate refugees and the present pandemic, there are no dearth of problems and crises befuddling the world. At the root of all these crises is the neoliberal capitalistic tendency to put profit before everything else and the rapacious greed and the sheer craziness of neoliberal market fundamentalism is such that naysayers and even those doubting the "system" are dismissed as cranks and worse, shunted out and persecuted as heretics. So, if we have to find solutions to our problems, we have to start with reforming the way our societies are ordered around the insatiable quest for money at the expense of everything else.
By Rammohan Susarla4 years ago in The Swamp
Universal theories
Universal theories for humans Human history overview through the wisdom Since the beginning of the human race, they experienced something above them which they can't understand. For the primal brain of early humans, even the fire was a surprise. Thunders, storms, lightning made them scared. Even though scared, they were much curious about those things. So they started to examine. They started to learn. They started to learn how to use those things which are once made them scared. As much as they learned, they saw more. But how much they saw, how much they learned, they felt that "something" was still above them. Thousands of years passed. Human race, human brain developed. They discovered amazing secrets. They revealed amazing powers. But, even today, in this modern well developed world also that "something" seems still exists above human mind. How much higher the humans learned, how much things humans discovered, still seems like something is there beyond of the understanding. This undiscovered thing, this undiscovered area is not only in technology. But also in every events of the life there still exists an undiscovered something. It exists in physical, mental, social, spiritual, philosophical and everything. You name it, that undiscovered area is there.
By Kriss Orayan4 years ago in The Swamp
Some Random Thoughts on Money
A TV show I watched recently and a movie I saw on the flight home from Australia got me to thinking a bit about money. What is money? Usually money is held to have two components. It is a store of value and it is a medium of exchange. It is also said to be a unit of account but that is more of an accounting function than a day to day use of money.
By Marco den Ouden4 years ago in The Swamp
A different perspective
It he seems that these days everything has become political. Everyone is so quick to make everything somehow political. Politics is suddenly controlling every aspect of our lives, from work to healthcare to the car we drive. It all seems like a bit much. I remember when a lot of people didn't seem to care too much about politics, but these days it seems like it's everywhere and in everything, and every person has an opinion.
By Amber Logue4 years ago in The Swamp
Doubt and Certainty
Doubt has had a bad rap since the Apostle Thomas doubted that Christ had risen from the dead until he could see him in person and check out his wounds from the crucifixion. Related in the Gospel according to John, the ten other disciples told Thomas about the resurrection and Thomas told them, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."
By Marco den Ouden4 years ago in The Swamp
The Great Divide
What?!? Infrastructure?? What? We have people hungry with no homes to live in (the number keeps growing) and they are worried about roads, bridges, and trains? People have lost loved ones due to the Opioid Epidemic, Severe Storms, Fires, and COVID 19 and are trying to make one income stretch across generations. The homeless total not only affects the low income anymore; but the middle class. The greater the divide from the rich to the poor is getting larger and larger. This is while we wait for Pharmaceutical companies to come out with new diagnoses so they can sell us on the next miracle drug. More people today than ever are on Food Stamps. We are way past the point of not going back to work because PUA has made us all rich (Ha!Ha!). We are frustrated that after a lifetime of busting our asses and now needing resources (even though we paid taxes), they are not there for us. The rules to get a job where you are underpaid, undervalued, overworked, require a background check, criminal check, vaccination proof, credit report, and are closing in on us. The loss of time with our loved ones to make someone else rich. We are tired of seeing record-breaking bonuses for the CEOs when their employees are barely making more than the national average for poverty. During the pandemic, families have done what all of us "in the hood" do all year long....side hustles. We've realized that even though employers weren't there for us we survived. Side hustles were maintained, worked (our own hours), made more profits, and had non of the bureaucratic request of Corporations hiring policies. We have financed the government through taxes and see how enslaved we've all become to the banks. Our eyes are open and we can not swallow the injustices of the "American Way". In addition to the fact that paying taxes is unconstitutional after all. No, we won't go on in blind comfortless knowing the politicians are not representing our votes. The Democrats had a blank check to right wrongs with majority votes. They could have made epic lasting changes and policies and we got more of the same politics. Murder rates are through the roof and the jails are packed without justice reform. Why are we putting sick people in cages and then letting them out expecting them to be better? How about the agencies and commissions which are supposed to watch and protect us from financial improprieties and environmental disasters that are always a day late and a dollar short? Who do they work for? We are tired of the media being one-sided instead of objectionable to both sides. The overdose rate in the United States from Opioids has reached over 100,000 people and is only a side mention. More people are dying of overdoses than car accidents, heart disease, and the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. The water has been tainted by PFAS, PFOA, PFOS, and the measurement that is safe to ingest has gone down after each newspaper article. We need to hold the businesses that created these toxic substances accountable. The pollution to the earth and its people are astounding! The landfills are full with no plan on sight. Our oceans are over polluted with toxic trash. Oil companies are spilling oil again and again. We can stop this insanity. There are more affected by the degradation than by the unresponsive political machine that is outdated and oversold. It's time American's marched in unison and made epic changes. We can.
By Lisa L Proffitt4 years ago in The Swamp
Switching Political Parties
In my previous story, I shared my honest opinions about President Joe Biden and why I no longer support him. The main issue I had with him was implementing vaccine mandates for businesses with 100 or more employees. As of this story, the 5th Circuit in Louisiana issued a stay, preventing the mandate to take effect. Also recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, suspended the enforcement of President Biden’s vaccine mandate.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 years ago in The Swamp
