I think it was Chomsky who said rulers rely on a consenting governed who don’t realize they are holding the keys. Chomsky has explored this topic in considerable depth, and I was inspired to re-explore it by “Josh”, who commented in response to my “There Are Too Many Cops” post. You can see his entire comment there, but I’ll excerpt a little:
Read the rest of this entry »

I know the Bush G8 open mic incident has been dissected nearly to death, but I simply can’t resist, in part because I think the mainstream media is paying attention to the wrong thing. They’re probably doing so out of necessity – after all, it show less ‘bias’ to take the “Bush Swears in open mic Summit Incident” approach rather than “Bush Shows his true self to the World” or “Bush Humilates 300 Million Americans in open mic Gaffe.”
Read the rest of this entry »

I am not one to jump on one side of the partisan divide. The reason for this is because I am (nearly) as often sickened by the left as I am by the right. I have no loyalty to any political party.

One of the saddest things that has happened over the last few years in the United States is the incessant fearmongering by the right, with the media being all-too-willing to act as their mouthpieces. It’s a match made in heaven – the media love fear and sensationalism for reasons oft discussed. (Just in the last five minutes on MSNBC: “Nobody [in Phoenix] even knows if it’s safe to walk outside their own home.” – because police there are looking for a killer.)

Trumped-up terrorist “plots”, blurry bogeymen, and countless other faux-dangers that necessitate a population shutting up, tuning in and bending over.

So, I agree with Will Bunch when he says that we need to “cancel Bush’s Fear Factor” and lays out an easy four-step plan.

I’ve long advocated for the rational exploration of the psychological and spiritual benefits of psychedelics. I believe, as do many, that they have therapeutic potential unlike anything found in pharmacology today. Luckily, the medical research is catching up with us.

The medical journal Psychopharmacology has just published the results of a study at Johns Hopkins that explored the impact of psilocybin on a group of healthy, normal middle-aged adults, and there seems to be little room for interpretation. I am ecstatic that rational scientific inquiry is backing up what many have known for eons – that these are powerful chemicals that offer access to the subconscious and the Divine.
Read the rest of this entry »

I have had the pleasure of working with some very talented, brave law enforcement officials who upheld civility with honor and dedication. I think police officers form a vital part of our social fabric.

But this whole counter-terrorism cop-march of the last five years is a march in the wrong direction.
Read the rest of this entry »