334 results for author: Phil Anderson

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 ...

Silence is Consent

“He was very emaciated. He had no shoes on, his pants were tattered, he had a kind of a rope or string holding his pants up. Filthy. Probably hasn’t bathed in months, probably hasn’t eaten in days...” “He puts out his hand, and so I beckoned him to come to me. I said, ‘Come here.’ And he reaches out and he holds my hand, and he kisses my hand and he says, ‘Shukran' (thank you). He “didn’t make it home. He walked 12 kilometers to get some food, picked up scraps off the ground cause that’s all that was left...and when he left, he was killed by the IDF” (Israeli Defense Forces). This is an eyewitness account of a young ...

Summer Reading

“I am looking at a witch hazel blooming in a garden The bright yellow flowers in the middle of wintertime And I tell my heart be strong like the witch hazel flower And you will not be injured by this dark and troubled time.”   From the folk song “Witch Hazel” by Tom Gala. Some nice renditions are available online. In these dark and troubled times, one refuge is reading. Escape novels can be useful, but more serious books can also provide perspective and comfort. This article talks about some recent reading I found cathartic. Andy Borowitz is a writer, comedian and satirist. He is known for his satirical ...