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Browsing All Posts filed under »Politics«
Reparations — a short story
May 20, 2019
You don’t right the wrongs of the past by wronging the people of the present. ― Phil Valentine Once we start down the road to reparations, every minority will want a piece of the action. — Quippy Dear Senator Cory Booker: Thank you for introducing a Senate bill to form a commission to study the […]
Ultimate War Games
March 17, 2019
To delight in war is a merit in the soldier, a dangerous quality in the captain, and a positive crime in the statesman. — George Santayana It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it. — Robert E. Lee When I was a kid in the turbulent 1960s, […]
Why We’re Stuck with Polarization
March 3, 2019
I will now perform a magic trick using only words. They will appear on your screen as a complete, grammatically correct sentence with proper syntax and a clear meaning. AND YET … You will be unable to remember it! First, some background: Deep in the ancient past, humans lived in small tribal groups, hunting and […]
Quippy on a Soapbox
January 20, 2019
The Quip Monster dropped by the office the other day, took over a desk, commandeered a laptop, and began typing away, claws clicking. He kept taking swigs from a flask, spilled some on a stack of papers, burped and growled a lot, then got up and waddled off. We looked at the laptop and found […]
I Lost Her at the Voting Booth — a short story
November 4, 2018
Insanity in individuals is something rare, but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule. — Friedrich Nietzsche Politics can be hard on relationships. Take me, for instance. I had a girlfriend who broke up with me on Election Day. We’d been together only a few weeks. Already some of her stuff was […]
Signs of the Late Republic
October 21, 2018
History never repeats itself but it rhymes. — John Robert Colombo In 133 BC, Tiberius Gracchus, leader of the Roman Assembly, tried to enact land reform to help the poor cope with an unfair economic system. His fellow tribune, Marcus Octavius, vetoed the plan. Push turned to shove, and Gracchus’s henchmen dragged Octavius from […]
The Civilized War
September 9, 2018
There are some who turn everything into warfare, who … would like to conquer others in everything they do. They have no idea how to live peaceably. — Baltasar Gracián We have met the enemy and he is us. — Pogo The Aztecs — who ruled a vast territory in the manner of the Roman […]
Discuss or Argue? — a short story
August 19, 2018
A man must be excessively stupid, as well as uncharitable, who believes there is no virtue but on his own side. – Joseph Addison “So, what do you think about climate change?” “You mean, which side am I on?” “Well…” “In my experience, nobody who asks that kind of question ever wants to hear my […]
Quippy the Grump
June 10, 2018
The only known member of the species Snarkius quippicus — we call him Quippy — always shows up at The JimBlog out of nowhere, unannounced. He tramps into the newsroom, plops down at a desk, commandeers a computer, and plinks out a page of copy. He then hands it to our editor and stomps off […]
How to Spill the Beans
May 20, 2018
Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. — Benjamin Franklin A friend asks, “How’s your new job?” You reply, “It’s okay.” “It’s not great?” “Well, there’s a lot of politics. I have to be careful.” You friend nods. “I know the drill. Is it one person against you, or just the […]
May a Corporation Limit Its Own Speech? — Sinclair, Part 2
May 13, 2018
It is easy to believe in freedom of speech for those with whom we agree. — Leo McKern Conservative, n: A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal who wishes to replace them with others. — Ambrose Bierce Not long ago, a friend and I discussed Sinclair and the Zombie […]
Fifth Amendment Brain Scan — a short story
April 22, 2018
Could prosecutors armed with a search warrant compel an unwilling suspect to submit to brain scans aimed at exploring his or her innermost thoughts? — John Villasenor “The State wishes to introduce into evidence a set of scans made from the defendant’s brain, scans which will prove he was lying to investigators—” “Objection!” Defense counsel […]
Political Discussion Pitfalls
April 15, 2018
People suppose they have the right way, and it is the only way. — Jeffrey Tucker “Political discussion” is an oxymoron. — Quippy Have you noticed how people in political discussions never, ever change their minds? You’d think public controversies ought to be talked out reasonably by the citizens — that’s the responsible thing […]
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