303 results for author: Phil Anderson
Manufacturing Enemies
“Once weapons were manufactured to fight wars. Now wars are manufactured to sell weapons.” Arundhati Roy, novelists, human rights and environmental activist.
In order to manufacture wars one must also manufacture enemies. Over the years, our government has been remarkably prolific at manufacturing enemies. Most of these alleged enemies were not a threat to our “national security” in any significant way. Most of these enemies did not have the military, economic or logistical capacity to be a serious threat to anyone. But these enemies did provide the excuse for continuous, ever increasing, military spending. Enemies were manufactured to sell ...
We Don’t Have to Live Like This
"Gun violence is a scourge that is unique to this country, and that is why we are taking action...We don't have to live like this." Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer
“They’re banishing books from their schools. We’re banishing hunger from ours.” Minnesota governor Tim Walz
Gov. Whitmer was talking about the recently enacted legislation to strengthen gun control laws in Michigan. In 2020 men armed with assault rifles entered the Michigan capital building protesting pandemic safety policies. There was also a failed plot by anti-government extremists to kidnap Gov. Whitmer. Michigan has good reasons to limit access to guns.
Minnesota's ...
Living in Fear
“There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.” Miroslav Volf, theologian and author.
“No amount of words can express the loss our community feels for the fallen heroes of the Village of Cameron Police Department and Chetek Police Department. My prayers continue to go out to the families and loved ones...” Rep. Tom Tiffany on the two police officers recently killed in NW Wisconsin in a traffic stop shootout.
Tiffany has been a strong opponent of all efforts to pass sensible gun control laws. There is something “deeply hypocritical” about his unwillingness to do ...
Gun Violence Needs Action Not Prayers
“There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.” These are the words of Miroslav Volf, a protestant theologian. This applies to the recent shooting of two police officers from Cameron and Chetek. Tragically both were killed in a shootout following a traffic stop.
It is “deeply hypocritical” to lament the death of these officers (or the tens-of-thousands of gun deaths each year) when we are “unwilling to resolve” the problem of gun violence.
The shooter was wanted for not paying child support. He had a history of domestic abuse and violence. Why did he have a loaded gun in ...
No Limits on Craziness
The divisive, destructive culture wars of right wing extremists is increasingly bizarre. Their social and legislative agenda has moved way beyond past conservative, pro-business, patriarchal control. It is no longer about small government, low taxes, unregulated free markets, militarism and anti-communism Their agenda has become completely crazy.
The right wing plutocracy (Koch brothers, et.al.) started all these culture wars as a divide and conquer tactic. It served their political agenda to divide liberal from conservative, black from white, immigrant from native, urban from rural, union from non-union and religious fundamentalists from ...
Taxes and Endless Military Spending
“If the Department of Defense can’t figure out a way to defend the United States on a budget of more than half a trillion dollars a year, then our problems are much bigger than anything that can be cured by a few more ships and planes.” Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates
Sec. Gates was a conservative Republican appointed by President G.W. Bush. He was speaking in 2006 when the budget for the Department of Defense was considerably less than today. But his statement is still valid. The American people have been manipulated and deceived into paying way too much for “defense” with little to show for it.
There are many, ...
Fools Rush In…
Fools Rush In...
“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread” is a line from a famous love song. As with romantic relationships, foolish behavior is common to Homo sapiens. It is universal across societies and history. But Americans – who frequently are told our nation is “exceptional” and God's chosen people – are exceptionally easy to fool and exceptionally prone to engage in foolish behavior.
This national trait is more then fools and their money being soon parted. Our foolishness is ubiquitous across a broad range of behaviors, at all levels of our society, with consequences affecting many more people than ...
Ruminations on the Wisconsin Election
The April 4th Wisconsin election was a huge victory for progressives. Judge Janet Protasiewicz soundly trounced the conservative candidate by an 11% margin. This overwhelming victory will have a major positive impact on Wisconsin.
The court is now controlled by judges whose rulings will be guided by seeking justice within the law. The highly partisan rulings of the past 15 years will end. The ridiculous notion that judicial rulings on social issues must adhere to the “original intent” of earlier racists and misogynists will no longer limit progress. It will now be possible, as it always should have been, for the law to evolve as knowledge, ...
Ballot Initiatives: Wisconsin April 4 Election
The Wisconsin election coming up on April 4th is important for the Supreme Court race. Literally what kind of society Wisconsin will be is at stake. Will we return our progressive roots or continue undemocratic and uncivil the politics of the lat 14 years?
But there are also three other items on the ballot that voters need to know about. The first and second are proposed constitutional amendments regarding cash bail. The third is an advisory referendum asking the public's opinion on work requirements for public assistance programs.
Why are these topics on the ballot? One would think both involve details of law and program regulation best left to ...
Freedom Is On The Ballot
“Whoever wins this election will determine whether our freedoms expand in Wisconsin, or whether our freedoms shrink in Wisconsin.” Matthew Rothschild, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court spent its 2021–22 term systematically weakening our democracy...[with rulings] that had dramatic implications for how our vote counts and how our government works.” Law Forward, in a November 2022 report.
Who wins the the Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 4 will determine the ideological direction of the court for years to come. Whether the court remains radically conservative or a new, progressive majority takes control ...