Category Archives: politics

September 25, 2024 · 6:22 am

My Fellow Americans: Please Vote (And Be Proactive About It)!

My fellow Americans, it’s almost time.

As stated in Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1, of the U.S. Code, Election Day shall occur on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. That means on November 5, 2024, it is the civic duty and responsibility of eligible adult citizens of the United States of America to cast their vote for their next slate of representatives.

I know most well-informed Americans are already aware of this.

I also know many of those same Americans are probably sick, tired, and frustrated to no end about the current state of politics in the United States. I count myself among those Americans.

But no matter how angry or irate we are about the current state of the discourse, it’s critical that we vote. It is one of the most tangible measures of influence that we, the ordinary citizens of this Country, can have on the direction of this country. It’s how we, as a nation and as a collective, make our voices heard. We may not always agree with those in power or how they conduct themselves in guiding matters of law or policy, but our votes are what enables their efforts.

And sadly, the simple act of voting has been subject to plenty of complications. The history of voting rights in America has been anything but ideal. In recent years, political polarization has resulted in numerous efforts to undermine or hinder voting for certain populations. It varies from state to state, but that’s exactly why now is the time to be proactive about voting.

As I write this, Election Day is still weeks away. For some people, they haven’t planned that far ahead. They haven’t even figured out what costume they’ll wear for Halloween or what they’ll have for dinner three days from now. For those who have a regular job or work multiple jobs, just making the time to vote might be daunting.

But that’s all the more reason to start planning now. If you’ve just stumbled across this website or somehow clicked here on accident, consider this an impassioned plea.

Be proactive!

Make plans now!

Make a concerted effort to vote!

If you’re not sure what the procedure is, use whatever resource you can to register or obtain a necessary ID. One of the best resources that I’ve found, which helped me a great deal when I moved to my current home, is Vote.org. It’s a simple, straightforward web resource that can be accessed on most any device connected to the internet. And it’ll give you the information you need to register to vote.

Again, it varies from state to state. Some states have more paperwork and legal loopholes than others. And some are a lot less scrupulous than others when it comes to ensuring eligible citizens can vote. Regardless of their stated reasons for doing so (which is almost always political and self-serving), I encourage everyone within these states to do what they must to navigate these obstacles, even if they seem absurd.

Some of those absurdities might take more time than others. Even for those that don’t, voting might still be challenging, simply because if work schedules and personal/family obligations. If your state allows early voting, then this is the perfect time to look into it. If you simply need to make accommodations at work or with family, this is the perfect time to plan for that, as well.

Whatever you have to do, go ahead and do it. The sooner you do it, the less stressful it’ll be. And, most importantly, your country will be better in the long run.

I’ll say it one more time for dramatic effect.

Go to Vote.org and learn what you have to do!

Vote, my fellow Americans!

Make plans now!

The future of America literally depends on it.

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July 23, 2024 · 6:46 am

A Note On The 2024 Election And The Simpsons

I know a lot has been going on this past week with American politics. In the past, I usually make my sentiments known whenever a major event occurs. As an American and someone who genuinely takes pride in his country, I am affected by these events. I want to see the country I love thrive and prosper for all the right reasons. And when something terrible happens, I don’t hide how I feel about it.

But this past week, I had to restrain myself. I won’t go into detail because I don’t care to attract certain reactionary elements of American politics.

However, there is one particular event I’d like to highlight. This past weekend, President Joe Biden announced that he is dropping out of the 2024 election and will not seek a second term. But in that same announcement, he also voiced his support for nominating Vice President Kamala Harris.

Now, there’s a lot I could say about President Biden and the job he’s done since coming into office. There’s a lot I could say about Kamala Harris, as well. Both have their share of strengths and weaknesses as politicians and public servants. I’m certainly not qualified to delve into them.

Instead, I’ll just point out that, like so many other major historical events, “The Simpsons” may have already foreseen this. And it wouldn’t be the first eerily accurate prediction, either. Now, does that mean that Kamala Harris is certain to be the next President of the United States?

No, of course it doesn’t. You still have to vote and you totally should.

But just take a moment and look at the resemblance.

I’m not saying that those working on “The Simpsons” are time travelers. But if this comes to pass, how the hell are we going to explain it?

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June 30, 2024 · 8:44 am

A Superyacht Caused A Devastating Forest Fire To Further Prove Billionaires Are Assholes

When it comes to being rich, there are only two types.

The first type is more traditional and common, relatively speaking. That type of rich largely covers people who can afford to live in nice houses within nice neighborhoods in well-maintained communities while not drowning in debt, be it from credit cards and student loans. These aren’t the kind of rich people who live in mansions and have butlers. These are just people who have comfortable, affluent lifestyles.

I don’t have a problem with rich people like this. I even know some of them. They’re generally decent people. And while some did inherit part of their wealth, they still had to work to some extent in order to maintain it. If they didn’t, then they wouldn’t remain rich for very long.

Then, there’s the second type of rich people. These people are rich in ways that most of us, including the first type of rich people I just mentioned, cannot begin to fathom. These are people with access to billions of dollars of wealth. I know people love to throw terms like millions and billions around interchangeably, but I don’t think those people realize just how much more a billion is than a million.

To illustrate, consider the following anecdote.

If you made approximately $50,000 a year, it would take you about 18 years in order to make $1 million. That’s a timeframe we can wrap our heads around. Most people work longer than 18 years in their adult lives.

But working at that same rate, it would take over 18,000 years to make $1 billion. That’s nearly three times longer than the history of human civilization. That is not a trivial difference.

And that difference is worth highlighting because only the second type of rich people can afford obscene displays of wealth like yachts. I also think it’s entirely appropriate to label these types of displays as obscene. Because yachts are not just boats.

They might as well be floating private islands that rich people use as extensions of their gawdy lifestyle. It’s not enough they can afford armies of butlers, nurses, nannys, personal chefs, and servants. They have to take that shit with them across the ocean. Just imagine feeling like you need that kind of pampering and luxury to begin with, let alone take it with you on an oversized boat.

It’s just one of the many reasons why I’ve come to believe that there’s no such thing as a “good” billionaire. But if you’re a billionaire who happens to own a yacht, then I’m just going to assume you’re an insufferable asshole until proven otherwise. Thus far, I haven’t been able to find reliable proof in that regard.

But all too often, I come across proof in the opposite direction that further affirms that these types of rich people really are assholes. The latest bit of proof comes courtesy of a misguided fireworks display organized by the crew of a superyacht that had been chartered by a group of rich people who don’t mind dropping $320,000 a week.

What’s the difference between a yacht and a superyacht? I don’t claim to know, but it’s safe to assume you have to be a special kind of greedy, self-centered asshole to think a regular yacht isn’t obscene enough.

But according to the Daily Beast, this particular superyacht tried to do a firework show off the Greek island of Hydra. While it might have looked pretty initially, it didn’t end well because it caused a massive forest fire on the island. Thankfully, no one was hurt in this fire, as far as we know. Even so, this is the kind of display that only the obscenely wealthy can pull off.

It’s not enough for people like this to live on a floating resort where they’re treated like royalty. They need a personal fireworks show to be entertained, even if it puts part of the natural world at risk. Even if you grand them the benefit of the doubt that this was entirely an accident and the people involved feel bad about it, remember this one detail.

These people won’t be the least bit inconvenienced.

It doesn’t matter that the mayor of the island is seeking compensation. Chances are he’ll run into an army overpaid lawyers who will either pay for this incident to go away or just plain intimidate the people on this island into submission. For most of the people paying these lawyers, the most they’ll have to do is make a phone call, sign some papers, and maybe even wire some money.

If anyone else mistakenly caused a forest fire that devastated an entire island, there would be consequences. This wouldn’t be something we could just ignore or bully our way out of. Then again, this isn’t something most of us are in a position to even do. We don’t own or use any yachts, let alone a superyacht.

We don’t know the names of the people who were on this superyacht when the fire erupted. Chances are we’ll never know, thanks to those aforementioned lawyers. But whoever they are, they’re still prime examples of why billionaires in general are assholes.

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April 11, 2024 · 5:22 am

Should Billionaires Even Exist? A Serious Question

In general, I’m in favor of capitalism.

I believe people have the right to work, buy, sell, and do business as they see fit. There certainly need to be rules. No social, economic, or political system can function without rules that are fair and well-enforced. That’s not a political statement. That’s just cold, hard realism.

In that same mold, I am not in favor of unmitigated capitalism in the mold that most libertarians and conservatives envision. I do not believe corporations, businesses, and industries should be given excessive leeway when it comes to dealing with fraud, failure, or environmental destruction. There needs to be some level of regulation to curtail the excesses of the market.

In my youth, I used to be a lot more libertarian in my views on how much or how little capitalism should be regulated. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of just how dangerous unfettered capitalism can be. You need only deal with Comcast’s customer service for any length of time to be convinced of that.

Now, I’m at an age where I feel like I’ve reached a new crossroads with respect to my view of capitalism. I won’t say I’ve completely lost faith in it or the idea. But I’ve seen way too many instances of big corporations doing objectively evil things to not be critical. And when they get in bed with political institutions, that evil only compounds.

Seriously, there are companies and state governments colluding to roll back child labor laws. This is not a joke. These companies want to make children work for them because it’ll result in greater profits.

This brings me to billionaires. They are the most celebrated figures in all of capitalism. They’re regularly ranked and whenever someone else becomes the world’s richest person, it generally makes the news. Like many others, I often celebrated their achievements too. I used to think that making a billion dollars, let alone over $100 billion, took a special kind of drive.

I admit I was wrong about that.

Now, I don’t think that billionaires, as a class, should even exist.

That may sound like a radical position. It’s often a talking point that comes up among those on the extreme left of the political spectrum. And those who espouse anything close to it are often ridiculed as being anti-business, anti-American, or outright communists.

Those criticisms are bullshit, by the way. They’re also just a distraction to avoid the distressing implication about billionaries.

To understand, just take a moment to appreciate how much more a billion dollars is than a million dollars. I know those three extra zeros might not mean much to most people. But in simple mathematical terms, the gap is vast. In case you need something visual, here’s a quick image to help illustrate the concept.

Again, it’s not a trivial difference.

But if you need another way to conceptualize just how big a billion dollars is, consider the following.

One million seconds is about 11 days. Most of us can grasp that length of time.

One billion seconds is 31.5 years. That’s a third of an average person’s lifetime.

I hope that helps belabor the point because with that now in mind, ask yourself one critical question.

Is it humanly possible for anyone to work hard or long enough to justify having a billion dollars?

In the past, I might have considered that a dumb question. But now, I would answer that question with an emphatic no. I don’t care how smart, skilled, capable, or dedicated anyone is. The idea that someone even could work hard enough to earn a billion dollars just doesn’t work.

Again, look at the visuals above. The difference between a million and a billion is extreme.

It also helps to think back to the hardest, most laborious job you ever worked. Whether it was working in fast food, construction, or retail, just think about how hard that job was and how much it paid you. Now, consider how hard your boss worked and how much they got paid. Did the extent of their work actually reflect their salary?

In some cases, it might. But in most, I doubt it. Apply that to how much more billionaires make compared to even senior managers at a company and the disparity becomes even more absurd. If that doesn’t convince you, then maybe this video highlighting a speech by Jesse “The Body” Venture will.

Beyond just the work, take a moment to think about what it would take to spend that kind of money. How many houses could you buy that you could reasonably live in? How many yachts or ships could you buy and actually use in any meaningful extent? How much fancy jewelry could you buy and actually wear?

I’m sure there are those who think they could spend a billion dollars with ease. I doubt those same people truly understand how much more a billion dollars is compared to a million. And even if they could, it would take real, considerable effort to spend that kind of money in a single lifetime.

There’s also the argument that billionaires donate a lot of money to charity and that effort is worth their massive wealth. I used to think there was value in that too. But I’ve also come to see that endeavor as little more than virtue signaling laced with tax avoidance.

And finally, there’s the idea that billionaires are somehow special and they have a unique set of skills that somehow warrants them having that kind of wealth. That’s partially true, but not in a good way. If you just look at how most billionaires made their money, you’d notice that a lot of them either involve inheriting wealth that they didn’t do a damn thing to earn or being exceedingly ruthless in exploiting the labor of others and/or avoiding taxes.

On top of that, those with that level of wealth can literally afford to manipulate the system, legally and illegally, to ensure that their wealth and status is preserved. Whether it’s through tax loopholes or lobbying for laws that benefit them (and only them), billionaires can basically shape the world as they see fit, even if it hurts people, the environment, and everything in between.

Even if you’re in favor of capitalism, it’s hard to deny the corrupting factors that just a few billionaires could have. No system can work when it’s so top-heavy that just three people have more wealth than the bottom half combined. You can still have a functional, vibrant capitalist system that encourages entrepreneurs and wealth creation. You can also have a system that allows for billionaires. But you cannot have both.

As an alternative, I propose this.

Once you make a dollar over $999,999,999, that money gets taxed at 100 percent. And every year, the government sends you a nice trophy that says “Congratulations! You won Capitalism!”

If that much money and the trophy is still not enough for you, then you’re not just greedy. You’re an asshole and you can’t be trusted with millions of dollars, let alone a billion dollars.

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February 28, 2024 · 6:59 am

Abortion, IVF Treatments, And The (Distressing) Trend Of Criminalizing Women

A few years back, I did a detailed breakdown of the potential implications of the United States Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and effectively undoing a woman’s right to an abortion. When I wrote that, I did so with the sinking gut feeling that it would eventually happen. Ignorant, cruel, fun-hating, sex-hating, misogynistic right-wing assholes have spent decades of time and billions of dollars to undo this ruling.

It was never a matter of if this fundamental right would be overturned. It was only a matter of when. It just happened a lot sooner than I expected. And while there has certainly been backlash, the full extent of that backlash is just beginning. We won’t know how it’ll fully manifest for a number of years.

However, the same assholes who fought so hard to undermine abortion rights were never going to be content to stop there. I’ve met and dealt with enough of these people to know they weren’t going to be satisfied with stopping women getting abortions. Even with the backlash their efforts incurred, they were always going to keep moving forward. They just have too much time, money, and cruelty to stop.

And the recent ruling with the Alabama Supreme Court that effectively criminalized in-vitro (IFV) fertilization is yet another instance of where these assholes will be focusing their efforts. I certainly didn’t expect something like this to happen so quickly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but I can’t say I was surprised.

The details of this case are remarkable, and not in a good way if you have any shred of humanity. But what’s more important, in terms of the bigger picture, is what this ruling does to the very perception of what IVF is and why it matters.

Because this is not some new, untested, unknown technology that most people haven’t heard of. IVF has been around since the late 1970s and to date, over 8 million children have been born through IVF that probably wouldn’t have otherwise been born. Keep in mind, these are all children born to parents who genuinely wanted to have a child, but couldn’t conceive due to various reasons.

These are not people who are in any way unnatural or less-than-human. And their parents are that much more admirable for seeking to have a child that they otherwise could not have had. Now, this ruling has completely reframed these millions of people and their parents by ruling that the procedure that helped them become a family was somehow immoral.

At the heart of the ruling is the notion that IVF requires fertilized embryos. And, according to the twisted logic and ethics of these religiously motivated judges, fertilized embryos are no different than infant children. That mirrors how the same logic these people utilize when they call abortion murder because for them, life begins at conception when the sperm and egg meet to create an embryo. So, for them, it means the destruction of any embryo constitutes the loss of a human life.

Now, I’m not a lawyer, a judge, or a legal expert of any kind. But even I have enough brain cells to understand why that logic is complete bullshit. You don’t even need to make any religious or philosophical arguments to prove it wrong.

It’s a simple matter of observable fact. You can place a tube full of embryos in the freezer, which preserves them for future use. But you can’t do that with an infant child.

They are two different things. That’s why we use different words to identify them. It really is that simple.

But in this particular case, the Alabama Supreme Court focused on a single incident in December 2020 at an Alabama fertility clinic in which a special container of embryos was mistakenly destroyed. And plaintiffs in this case argued that constituted the wrongful deaths of living children.

Again, these were embryos in a freezer. If they were children, they would be dead. I wish I didn’t have to make that distinction, but this is apparently where we are with the discourse surrounding women, children, and health care.

But the court didn’t care for that distinction. Whether because of their religious convictions or ideology, these judges ruled these embryos are children. As such, IVF treatment cannot continue because it often involves the destruction and disposal of embryos, usually those that are not viable. It’s twisted, absurd, and irrational logic. But because these are judges, it’s now law in Alabama.

However, don’t expect it to stop there.

Remember, the current makeup of the United States Supreme Court includes the judges that eagerly jumped at the chance to overturn Roe v. Wade. And at least one of those judges has publicly stated that there are just as eager to revisit other rights regarding women and the LGBTQ community.

Do not discount these musings as wishful thinking or unwarranted speculation. When bigots, assholes, misogynists, and wannabe authoritarians tell you what they want to do, assume they’re going to make a serious effort to do it. Don’t assume that our current safeguards, be they laws, norms, or basic human decency, will be sufficient to stop them.

In the meantime, this ruling is another instance of a trend that has been unfolding since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The same people who advocated for it are pushing beyond the scope of abortion to basically legislate anything having to do with women exercising any level of agency or autonomy. More than anything, this ruling further proves their agenda has little to do with protecting or promoting children.

In one act, they fought to criminalize abortion in the name of saving unborn children.

In another, they fought to criminalize a procedure that actually helps couples have children.

But even if the hypocrisy doesn’t disgust you, just note the common denominator here. It all comes back to women, their bodies, and their role in rearing children. That’s what these court rulings and all the efforts behind them seem to revolve around. It’s about micromanaging how they use their bodies and criminalizing anything that gives them more agency than their religion or ideology commands.

And that’s wrong, plain and simple. I won’t even present to hide my bias on this. No court or judge, no matter how supreme their building claims to be, has a right to legislate what women do with their bodies. They may not like that some women do things they don’t approve of, be it having abortions, enjoying sex, or using science to have children they couldn’t otherwise have. But that’s their problem.

Unfortunately, these people and the right-wing assholes who support them are determined to make it everyone’s problem. That means it’s up to us, those who can actually discern the difference between a child and an embryo, to be just as determined in opposing them.

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February 19, 2024 · 8:46 am

Dear Jon Stewart: PLEASE Run For President

Like many Americans of a certain age, I was elated when I heard that Jon Stewart, the Walter Cronkite of an entire generation, was returning to the Daily Show. It may sound strange, being so thrilled with a comedian returning to a job he hasn’t done in almost 10 years. But Jon Stewart is no ordinary host/comedian.

This is a man whose comedy, wit, and insights made the news palatable for millions of people who were disillusioned, dissatisfied, and mostly disinterested with the issues of the day. He could take something as complicated as gun control, abortion rights, international relations, and war and present in a way that most ordinary people could understand and even laugh at.

But the comedy didn’t come from making light of these issues. They were a natural byproduct of Jon Stewart’s innate ability to confront the absurdities and the bullshit that often lay at the foundation of these issues, as well as the people or institutions who were supposed to deal with them.

It didn’t matter where anyone was on the political spectrum.

It didn’t matter if they were republican, democrat, or independent.

If there was even a trace amount of bullshit behind the political machinations, Jon Stewart would highlight it, confront it, and present it in a way that made it feel important. It’s a big reason why, despite an increasing amount of political polarization, Stewart often ranked high as a trusted name for people of many persuations.

But there were also times when comedy was not enough or not appropriate. In those instances, Jon Stewart could be both serious and passionate. When Congress threatened to cut benefits for 9/11 responders, Stewart made a very public, very impassioned plea that ultimately resulted in the benefits being passed. If you need any proof at just how powerful one voice can be, just watch the testimony for yourself.

There’s a lot more about Jon Stewart that I can say. I understand he’s one of those rare celebrity figures whose voice carries more weight than most. But I’ll dispense with those sentiments because, after seeing him return to the Daily Show and demonstrate his remarkable skill for confronting bullshit, I have one important message for him

Jon Stewart, on behalf of America and everyone who cherishes the values it espouses, please run for President.

I know it’s a hallow and somewhat absurd plea. It’s not like Jon will ever read this, but I’m not the only one who has made this plea. Others with far larger platforms have implored him to run. Even though Stewart has gone on record as saying he doesn’t want the job, that just makes him even more qualified in my mind.

Now, I love America. And I consider myself a proud American. But I don’t deny that this country I love has taken a dark, disturbing turn in recent years. Between the rise of Christian Nationalism and the rollback of basic rights, we are not heading down a good path. And if we’re not careful, we could end up electing the kind of narcissistic wannabe despot who would gladly destroy America’s democratic institutions for his own personal vanity.

You know who I’m talking about. I won’t say his name. I refuse to give him more attention than he deserves.

But Jon Stewart is the perfect candidate to counter that kind of self-centered bullshit. He’s not just someone with the wit and charisma to appeal to voters. He’s not afraid to directly confront toxic people with toxic politics, even on live TV. If you need a reminder of how effective he is, just watch this.

During contentions times like this, there aren’t many individuals who can navigate the bullshit and resonate with people of many backgrounds. I would even make that case that none of the candidates currently running for President or showing an interest in running have what it takes to do the job.

But Jon Stewart is one of those individuals. He might very well be the only person whose name, skill set, and public persona is strong enough to carry both an election and the duties necessary to undo the damage that has been done to America.

Yes, he’s a celebrity.

Yes, we’ve already had a not-so-fun experience with celebrities becoming president.

But in times like this, we can’t let the past obstruct the present. When a country and a society is on a bad path, we need to rally ourselves and others to navigate these dangerous forces. Nobody can do it alone. One leader isn’t going to fix everything. But someone like Jon Stewart is one of the few who could help America realize that it’s not too late.

I don’t claim to know what will happen with American politics in the days leading up to the election. I just know that, even if there’s no such thing as a perfect candidate, Jon Stewart is pretty damn close.

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February 9, 2024 · 5:25 am

A Note To Those Who Are Angry With Taylor Swift

As a general rule, I do not look to celebrities to inform my opinions on politics. And I strongly recommend that approach for everyone. Getting your politics from a celebrity is like getting medical advice from a plumber. It’s both misguided and irrational.

That even applies to celebrities with the star power of Taylor Swift. I’m fully aware that, in terms of celebrity star power, she’s on a very different level compared to most. I even referenced her when I said nobody should ever be as famous as Michael Jackson. Be that as it may, she might very well be the only one to come close to that level of star power.

Now, I don’t consider myself a full-blown Swifty, as they’re called. But I do have friends and relatives who are as passionate about all things Taylor Swift as I am about superhero comics. And I totally respect that. I get that kind of passion. But even those die-hard Taylor Swift fans understand on some levels that she’s not a political figure. She’s an entertainer and, by far, one of the most successful of the past 25 years.

Then, there are those who are angry at Taylor Swift for her recent politics. But unlike other instances in which celebrities mix star power with politics in objectively awful ways, this anger is even dumber than usual. It barely even has anything to do with politics, which makes it even dumber when people try to put a political spin on it.

While I’d rather not get into all the drama surrounding Taylor Swift’s foray into politics, going back to 2020, the current source of outrage is this. Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce, the star tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs. And her presence at Chiefs games has had a significant impact on both the ratings of those and the overall interest in this relationship.

Naturally, the NFL loves the extra attention they’re getting from Swift’s legion of dedicated fans. But there is also a sizable crowd of angry, politically motivated individuals who hate the attention she’s bringing to the games, as well as the “politics” she’s engaged in. And I put “politics” in quotes because the criteria these people are using is too stupid for me to put into words.

Officially, the only real political activity Swift has engaged in since 2020 is encouraging people to register to vote. She never told anyone who to vote for or even what party to vote for. She just used her massive platform as a celebrity to get people out to vote. In most circumstances, that’s an objectively good thing. Getting people to participate in the democratic process helps the country, as a whole.

But unofficially, those who hate this brand of “politics” think she and Travis Kelce are part of some elaborate conspiracy to rig the 2024 Presidential Election against their side. They genuinely believe in a real, tangible conspiracy theory that has shadowy political forces manipulating Swift into influencing the upcoming election in a certain way.

Again, it is too stupid for words. I could write an entire book on how stupid it is, but it still wouldn’t be enough.

So, without getting too deep into the politics, I just want to convey one important message to those who are angry with Taylor Swift, her politics, her current relationship, and her public persona.

Getting angry at her for such petty reasons is a huge mistake.

That’s not a warning or anything. That’s just a simple, logical observation. Because targeting public figures for their political views is bad enough. We’ve already seen this same crowd of angry reactionaries target companies, comedians, school boards, and even a children’s hospital.

Yes, they actually got angry at a children’s hospital. That, alone, should tell you all you need to know about the nature of these peoples’ anger.

But going after Taylor Swift is different. She is not someone who is unaccustomed to public scrutiny. She has been a celebrity for over a decade, long before the current political climate. She also is familiar with dealing with hostile fans. So, she’s likely not going to be intimidated by that sort of fiery rhetoric.

Most critically, Taylor Swift has legions of passionate fans who won’t hesitate to defend her. And in this case, they would be perfectly right in defending her because she’s doing nothing outrageous. Again, all she has done since 2020 is encourage people to register to vote. And the fact that this is what enrages these reactionaries so much is both telling and pathetic.

It’s as though they know for a fact that if more people vote, they’re more likely to lose major elections. They’re aware that their views are unpopular, untenable, and just plain wrong. And the only why they have a chance of winning is if enough people aren’t motivated to vote.

That, in and of itself, is pretty egregious. But take another step back and look at the larger message this outrage is sending. These people are utterly outraged at Taylor Swift, one of the most successful and celebrated entertainers of all time, for simply not agreeing with them politically. The way she carries herself, the way she navigates the world of celebrity, and the political stances she’s taken in the past are just too much for them.

And that, simply put, is pathetic.

On top of that, these reactionaries are telling Swift’s legion of fans that they hate her for this one simple disagreement. And many of those fans are young, passionate, and likely weren’t even interested in her politics until people from a certain end of the political spectrum started attacking her. How do you think they’re going to feel about those who hate her? Moreover, how do you think that’s going to impact their voting habits?

Personally, I still don’t care about Taylor Swift’s politics. Even if she didn’t agree with me politically, I would still have her songs on my workout playlist. Whenever there’s a disagreement like that with anyone, celebrity or otherwise, it’s just easier to shake it off.

But that apparently isn’t enough for these angry, reactionary whiners. They still feel compelled to attack her for the sin of not going along with their agenda. And they really think they’re more powerful than Taylor Swift’s legion of fans.

Well, if they really think that, by all means. Keep trying to villainize her. Keep pretending that hating her won’t have a significant influence on young people who love her music. Just don’t be surprised if the consequences aren’t something you can easily shake off.

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December 15, 2023 · 5:38 am

What DARE Taught Me (And What It Failed To Teach Me) About Drugs

This is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World.

In this video, I recount and discuss my experience with the Drug Resistance Awareness Program (DARE) when I was a kid. For many people my age, DARE was a big part of their youth. It was in schools, on TV, and part of many major social programs. It had a simple message.

Don’t do drugs. Just say no.

But in the grand scheme of things, was it all that effective? Did it really teach me or anyone else my age not to do drugs? The answers here are mixed. And I offer my perspective on the whole experience, as well as what it means for current issues involving drug abuse. Enjoy!

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December 3, 2023 · 9:05 am

A Brief Note On (The Stupidity Of) Book Bans

We live in strange, tense, and frustrating times. I know you could say that about any point in any era. But it feels like we’ve been saying that a lot late. I know I have. Just look at some of the posts I’ve made on or near Election Day in the United States. But as someone who lives less than two hours from Washington DC, I tend to feel the politics of these times more than most. And I’ve been around long enough to see some strange and troubling trends.

Then, there are certain acts or phenomena that are just plain stupid on a level that defies parody.

I generally try to empathize and understand where other people are coming from, especially if they have a different background or ideology from my own. There are just some instances where that’s not possible. The breadth of the stupidity is just too great.

That’s exactly how I feel about book bans. For reasons that are too fucking idiotic for me to paraphrase, there are real people living in real places in the United States of America who are advocating for book bans. Some are going so far as to burn them.

Again, this is not 1933. This is happening in 2023. That point is worth belaboring.

Now, I don’t want to name names or organizations. But you don’t have to look far to see who are advocating for book bans. You also don’t have to dig too deep to uncover what sort of ideology they ascribe to.

Here’s a hint. It’s the same ideology the requires stormtroopers, secret police, and prison camps.

But all you really need to know is that these efforts are usually the ones the villains in every TV show, book, or movie get behind. They see people reading books with ideas they don’t like. They worry that those same people, which include children and young adults needed for factories and war zones, embracing or identifying with those ideas.

But rather than confront those ideas, the book banning advocates would just prefer that people never know about those ideas in the first place. The evil, sadistic logic is that if people never read about it, then they can never think about it. And if they can never think about it, then they’re easier to control and guide.

That may not be the reason book banning advocates say out loud, but that is the effect. They’ll usually frame it as “protecting children” or “combating obscenity.” But don’t fall for that. At the end of the day, those who seek to ban books just want to eliminate ideas and stories they don’t like from the public consciousness.

That’s not conducive to protecting children and fostering a healthy society.

That’s a tactic for fascists, authoritarians, dictators, and general assholes.

Now, those tactics were certainly damaging in the past. Until very recently, books were the primary source of important information. If people didn’t have access to books, then they didn’t have access to knowledge, stories, and new ideas. Finding or preserving banned books used to take a concerted effort and many brave individuals put their lives at risk to further those efforts.

However, what makes modern book bans especially stupid is the simple fact that the internet exists. Libraries and book stores are no longer the lone repositories of knowledge and stories. Anyone with a smartphone can access more knowledge in five seconds than an entire university of academics could 50 years ago.

At this point, trying to ban books is akin to trying to censor telegrams. All they achieve now is raising the profile of these books they’re trying to ban. Hell, the book banning advocates might as well identify as free advertising because sales of banned books tend to spike whenever they bitch and moan about certain titles.

So, in addition to being a dick move, as well as tactics used primarily by fascists, it’s completely counterproductive. It wastes time, money, energy, and has the opposite effect of what’s intended. With that in mind, I have just one last message to those who still think banning books is a worthwhile endeavor.

Read a fucking book! Preferably a history book!

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November 7, 2023 · 5:20 am

Happy Election Day 2023 (Now Vote)!

My fellow Americans, today is Election Day 2023.

Yes, it’s not a Presidential Election year. That’s not until 2024.

But it’s still Election Day. And in many jurisdictions throughout the United States, including my own, you can still vote. It may not be for President, but you can still vote for representatives of every level from the school board to the county to the state house.

And you should. For democracy to work and for liberty, as we know it, to remain, we must do our part. We must get out there and cast our votes to make our voices heard. If you don’t know where your polling place is, you can find it at this site.

https://www.vote.org/

The information is free. Voting is free. Getting out to vote still takes effort, but it’s worth doing. As an American, it’s one of the most important things you can do.

So please do your part. Get out there and vote. Your country and democracy will be better because of it.

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