An Asian's Take on Republican "Self-examination"
“I’m very disappointed with Governor Romney’s analysis... we didn’t lose Asian-Americans because they got any gifts. This is the hardest-working and most successful ethnic group in America — they...
View ArticleMissed Opportunity
It has been a long time since Karl Rove's dream of a permanent Republican majority was ignominiously buried. Meanwhile, lost in the current triumphalism among Democrats ("GOP Postmortem"; "GOP Eating...
View ArticleDouthat is a Coward
For those who read the NY Times, you know that their op-ed pages include a variety of viewpoints. One of their contributors, Ross Douthat, is an unreconstructed defender of religious traditionalism....
View ArticleOpen letter to The New Yorker
To: The Editors The New YorkerRe: Our decision not to renewOur family have been subscribers to the New Yorker for many decades and three generations. There was a time when it would never have...
View ArticleA Liberal Conundrum
When I debate some of my otherwise liberal or progressive friends, and I put the question bluntly to them, "Should we just let Israel get wiped off the map?", there is often a moment of hesitation,...
View ArticleThe Big Lie about Domestic Spying
Even as we brace for debt-default Armageddon, or perhaps because of it, the other major domestic story of our times has been all but forgotten. But when it comes to having the government spy on us,...
View ArticleGoogle's Crocodile Tears
The big internet companies--Google, Facebook, Apple among others--are pleading with Obama to pull back the NSA's spying programs because >gasp!< they don't like being forced to compromise their...
View ArticleGoogle, NSA and all that
The comments to my last post on this showed me that I didn't make my point clearly enough. Some people pointed out that we can opt out of Google, but not out of NSA spying. There was one ardent...
View ArticleTake Action on Data Privacy
Amid all the alarm about NSA and other government agencies spying on US citizens, we have ignored that fact that it all starts with data collection by private sector companies. First of all, if the...
View ArticleTaking action on data privacy, part 2
I want to thank those who have read my earlier post and especially those who signed the petition. For those who didn't see it, the gist is simple: If private companies had a harder time collecting...
View ArticlePrivacy appeals to liberals and libertarians alike
This is one issue on which these two ends of the political spectrum can find common ground. Since we started our online petition, we have seen a mix of people from both camps sign on. And why not? One...
View ArticleDigital privacy starts with us
The first step to putting a stop to violations of our privacy is to shine some light on the problem. One way to do that is to require that anyone gathering our data must ask permission first. We have...
View ArticleMore on digital privacy: NSA is just the tip of the iceberg
Imagine what would happen if the roads were owned by car companies, and they could ban you from driving if you expressed a negative opinion of one of their cars. Or if a phone company could cut off...
View ArticleProtecting ourselves from data hoarders
If you don't want cockroaches in your house, one way is to stand around all night, waiting for them, and then try to stomp them out. Good luck. A more effective way would be to keep a really clean...
View ArticleA call from the National Republican Congressional Committee
I have at various times been registered as a Democrat, a Republican (that was in 2000, when I worked for McCain in order to try to stop Bush from getting the nomination) and an independent. The...
View ArticleIs privacy dead?
Quite possibly. However, we can still shine a little light on how our data are gathered and used. While the latest revelations suggest NSA's methods are deeper and more nefarious than even the most...
View ArticleDo you really think the courts will protect us?
As of today:http://news.yahoo.com/...Even after one major decision holding that NSA spying is unconstitutional, the FISA court continues to permit blanket, unrestricted data collection by the NSA. The...
View ArticleThe difference between left and right
I've been an independent much of my life. When I registered with either party, it was generally to support an insurgent candidate (McGovern in 72, McCain in 2000--both quixotic campaigns in many...
View ArticleObama, NSA and self deception
So, we can read any number of analyses--on this board, or http://www.nytimes.com/... wherever you prefer to go, and it's all about whether Obama is going far enough, or not going far enough. And it's...
View ArticleNSA and Self Deception, part II
Comments to my previous posts on this topic have included two main counter-arguments:1. That corporate data hoarding is innocuous, where NSA's data hoarding is dangerous; and2. That the difference is...
View ArticleDemocratic Fratricide: Part I
There has been no shortage, on this board, of commentary on the demographic wave in favor of Democrats, or of gloating over the hole the Republicans find themselves in. As we know, Romney lost...
View ArticleIs the Democratic Majority in California at risk?
Why even ask this question? After all, California is the biggest bastion of Blue, right? The Democrats have achieved what Karl Rove could not have dreamed of in his wildest fantasies: Complete...
View ArticleAn Open Letter to David Koch
Dear Mr. Koch,This past weekend, my family and I visited the American Museum of Natural History. This was a special visit for me. I grew up with the Museum. My mother did not understand science, but...
View ArticleFood Stamps Create Dependency
As has been noted on this board already, Dr. Annette Bosworth, a Republican Senate candidate posted this:“The food stamp program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture," the graphic...
View ArticleA Greek Parable
When my acquaintance Phil told me he was building a house in Greece, I didn't think much of it. I already knew Phil was rich, and had lots of toys. What intrigued me was how he was financing it: He...
View ArticleChipping away at the Republican money machine
One of the most popular wineries in the U.S. is Jordan, here in California. It turns out the Jordan family are major Republican fundraisers. This was a big disappointment to me, but what can one do?...
View ArticleRepublican Crocodile Tears
From Paul Ryan to Little Marco, Republicans are suddenly convulsed with outrage over Donald Trump’s racism, xenophobia and bad manners. He threatens conservative “principles”, they whine. Oh, how...
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