Nobody likes a multi-billionaire who stiffs his workers.  Donald Trump accuses Jeff Bezos of greed and Bernie Sanders agrees, suggesting a man who pockets $157 billion a year while his warehouse workers live on food stamps is a man whose conscience is questionable.*  While Trump’s

Institutions of higher learning like to advertise that a college education can add a $1 million to a student’s  lifetime earnings.   Lured by that promise, students blindly assume debt that can last a lifetime.  One thirty-year-old man, who graduated with an MA in Literature, ca

Weaponizing anger is a dangerous game.  Bernie Sanders tried it in the last Presidential election and so did Donald Trump.  Trump did it better and he remains a beacon for those who feel disenfranchised.  What both candidates did was tap into the residue loathing still with us from

Do you know your trustworthiness score?  Did you know Facebook has given you one?  To avoid accusations they are purveyors of fake news,  the company now uses an algorithm to determine a member’s credibility.  Twitter, reportedly, is moving in the same direction.  (“Facebooks

Recently, U. S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he plans to create a Religious Liberty Task Force intended to insert faith-based protections into the political agenda.  In doing so, he misuses his public office.  His is a bald-faced attempt to extend the reach of conservati

Here’s a great idea for reducing crime in the city. Build more open spaces, more coffee shops and above all, more libraries.  Why?  Because, as Eric Klinenberg writes in his book, Palaces for People, with so many eyes on the scene, these areas become safer places. (“Come Togethe

Earlier this month, I appeared on a community cable program.  The host, known as Dr. Don, interviews local people whom he imagines others will think interesting.  He’s in his 90’s and has been doing the series for 15 years.  An hour of talk about myself is a challenge, even for

Below are three accounts of rescue that should give us pause. Story 1 A parrot has been sitting on the roof of its owner’s home for 3 days, refusing to come down. Eventually, the north London Fire Department arrives to rescue the bird, but none of their ploys succeed.  Finally, a f

Once, I confessed to a dear friend that I longed for someone in my life like Gustav Mahler’s wife.  Her eyes swept to the top of her head, as I recall, and this she followed with a pause as she considered whether I was confessing to a lifestyle.  I wasn’t.  I  was referring to

Is globalization good or bad?  Will it create a kinder, gentler and more equitable world?  Or, will nation-states be forced to live under the tyranny of a universal cabal?  According to Randall Schweller, professor of political science at Ohio State University, Donald Trump and his