316 results for author: Phil Anderson

Red Counties Dependence on the “Deep State”

“One of the most enduring conservative myths is that of the self-reliant, salt-of-the-earth, rural-dwelling American who pulls himself up by his bootstraps...If that were ever true, it hasn’t been for a while. These days, rural America is largely dependent on the federal government it claims to hate.”   This quote is from an article in Daily KOS (“Look just how much red counties depend on the government they hate,” July 10, 2025). The article points out that, “far from self-reliant, rural America is subsidized by blue states.”   Dr. Paul Krugman is a Nobel prize winning economist, author and commentator. He ...

More on political violence

Donald Trump has a lot of damn gall accusing Democrats and liberals of inciting political violence. Since 2015 he has been a primary source of inflammatory, divisive, hate-filled political rhetoric that  encouraged violence by his supporters. He is the only president in our history to incite a mob to attack Congress.   In the past I wrote about how political murders are actually rare in comparison to other murders. But they are increasing along with other hate crimes. This article updates a prior article on political violence   “The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to ...

Hate in America 2025

Trump is lying again. Following the murder of right wing activist Charlie Kirk, he is falsely accusing liberals of promoting violence and political “terrorism.” With his usual fact free demagoguery, he claims, “The radical left causes tremendous violence” and in “a bigger way” than right wing extremists.   The truth is exactly the opposite and is well documented by numerous reliable sources including the right wing CATO Institute. The vast majority of racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and religious hate crimes are perpetrated by right wing extremists.   Hate crimes are the result of individual bigotry toward other ...

Food Stamp Folly

"We all do better when we all do better" was the late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone's simple, yet profound, statement of economic truth. In a stable, sustainable economy no one should be left behind even if they are poor or not as “productive.” This is not just kindness or charity. It is a recognition that an economy, like a chain, is only as strong as its weakest link.   The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly called food stamps) illustrates how Paul Wellstone's economic principle works in the real world. It is an example of how helping poor people is good for everyone else. The current administration's ...

The War on Children

“I’m not sure we’ve ever seen an Administration so laser-focused on targeting the nation’s children for harm. This president and his appointees – with an unprecedented assist from Congress – has specifically targeted children’s health care with $880 billion in proposed cuts, is closing down the Department of Education, and literally plans to steal the lunch money of the nation’s poorest kids. Babies have been singled out for special punishment with the proposed revocation of birthright citizenship and deportation of U.S. citizen children. This Administration is also promoting tax policies that penalize families for having newborns. And ...

Saving PBS

“Can't have the kids being groomed by Antiques Roadshow.” This statement is from a cartoon by Jen Sorensen talking about the defunding of public broadcasting. The humorous, but perceptive,   cartoon explains the ridiculous reasoning behind Republican attacks on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.   Back in 1961 Newton Minow, the Federal Communications Commission Chairman, famously described commercial television as a "vast wasteland." Television, like radio before it, was a wonderful communication tool for providing quality information, education, entertainment and cultural programming. But Minow believed its potential was being ...

Food Stamp Folly

"We all do better when we all do better" was the late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone's simple, yet profound, statement of economic truth. In a stable, sustainable economy no one should be left behind even if they are poor or not as “productive.” This is not just kindness or charity. It is a recognition that an economy, like a chain, is only as strong as its weakest link. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly called food stamps) illustrates how Paul Wellstone's economic principle works in the real world. It is an example of how helping poor people is good for everyone else. The current administration's mean-spirited, ...

SAVING PBS

“Can't have the kids being groomed by Antiques Roadshow.” This statement is from a cartoon by Jen Sorensen talking about the defunding of public broadcasting. The humorous, but perceptive, cartoon explains the ridiculous reasoning behind Republican attacks on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Back in 1961 Newton Minow, the Federal Communications Commission Chairman, famously described commercial television as a "vast wasteland." Television, like radio before it, was a wonderful communication tool for providing quality information, education, entertainment and cultural programming. But Minow believed its potential was being squandered and ...

Nuclear War Scenarios

(one of two in a series) “The likelihood of a nuclear catastrophe is greater today than during the cold war, and the public is completely unaware of the danger.” Former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry This year is the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most Americans, if they think about the issue at all, probably think the threat of nuclear war ended with the break up of the Soviet Union. They believe peace through strength, mutually assured destruction (MAD) and deterrence worked. Nuclear war was avoided and America won the ideological struggle with communism. The truth is we were lucky to have survived the ...

Abolishing Nuclear War

“Nuclear weapons do not provide security. They are instruments of mass suffering. Preventing nuclear war is a public health imperative.” Physicians for Social Responsibility We can abolishing nuclear weapons. It is a realistic, achievable goal. It is not a Utopian fantasy. But people must demand the United States change course and join the worldwide effort to abolish them. The politicians will not act unless pressured by people. We know what needs to be done. We know why it must be done. We know how it can be done. We have the blueprints to make it happen. We know from past experience that citizen pressure can effect change. What is ...