By David Brin PASADENA, California — I write this from Pasadena, where I just finished a public evening (that will be podcast soon on the site of KPCC FM radio) discussing with USC Professor Paul Rosenbloom and the Planetary Society’s Mat Kaplan the future of artificial intelligence, uplifting dolphins, and good or bad types of […]
Whimsical Obama has quality often lacking: curiosity Read More »
USABy David Brin ENCINITAS, California –Mitt Willard Romney now informs us that he did pay taxes during the last ten years. Thus he attempts to staunch – despite his own refusal to provide proof in the form of tax returns – the assertion of critics like Democratic senator Harry Reid that Romney paid no taxes
Why shouldn’t voters see Romney’s tax returns? Read More »
USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called cavalierly for the people of Aleppo to rise up against the Assad regime. When they did — as when President Bush (41) called on the Shi’ites and Kurds of Iraq to rise up against Saddam in 1991 — the U.S. declined to support the rebels, and
Clinton signals, but doesn’t make the turn Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA
By Isaac Yetiv, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — Even before the presidential debates, the lines separating the worldviews of the candidates present a sharp picture of clear distinctions; and that is good for the electorate and for democracy. The incumbent, President Obama, by his words and deeds, situated himself far to the left of mainstream
Democrats desperate to change subject from economy Read More »
USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Americans are jaded by the size and shape of the financial crisis that ripped through banking in 2008. Bernie Madoff, AIG, “too big to fail,” Goldman Sachs, subprime lending, unfathomable derivatives, and underwater mortgages make it hard to work up much steam on yet another banking story. And you could
Standard Chartered Branch, Deloite & Touche accused of conspiring with Iran Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy Morris J. Amitay WASHINGTON, D.C — The specter of the January 2, 2013 sequestration has created rare unanimity here in Washington. Just about everyone both in the defense establishment and Congress maintains it would have disastrous consequences if implemented. This new round of budget cuts was mandated by the U.S. Budget Control Act
Partisan gridlock jeopardizes U.S. military readiness Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The recent attack upon the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin dredged up some old memories I thought I had buried. My story began not long after 2001. At that time, I was a rabbi in Glens Falls, New York, when the incident occurred. After the terrible 9/11
Attack on Sikh Temple stirs memories of Glen Falls Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO –I was appalled by one of the comments that I heard repeatedly in the wake of the murderous rampage at a Milwaukee Sikh temple last Sunday: the white supremacist shooter who attacked it probably mistook it for an Islamic house of worship. As if that is any kind of
Attack on ANY religious group is an outrage Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO –Some folks enjoy the easy, racially-tinged declaration, after viewing an African American man on the television news being indicted or sentenced for some gruesome crime: “Well, of course.” The assumption, the throw-away epithet, is simple, coarse, and poorly-informed. It is driven by the insipid racism of too many people
What color is terror? Read More »
USABy Peter Huessy WASHINGTON, D.C. — A small group of nuclear abolitionists are pushing for the United States to dramatically reduce its nuclear weapons and eliminate the strategic nuclear triad, which for half a century has maintained the peace. Global Zero, which bills itself as an international movement for the elimination of all nuclear weapons
Proposal to reduce U.S. nuclear force counter-productive Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Elections instill panic. What should we do in order to solve the problems? Wrong strategy. There are not any solutions for the stickiest of the problems. The point is to select a candidate with the greatest chance of making things a little bit better, or only a little bit worse.
Reasons for Israeli misgivings about Obama AND Romney Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Daniel Halper WASHINGTON, D.C — No intellectually honest individual could examine the vast array of evidence and believe there has not been a spate of high-level national security leaks over the past months. Intimate details of the SEAL team raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan have been consumed by
Independent investigator needed to probe security leaks Read More »
USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Governor Romney continues overseas travel that includes Israel, he doesn’t have to be ready to solve the problems of the region, or have a “peace plan” in his pocket. A few basic principles — previously observed by both Republican and Democratic presidents — will serve him well. 1.
Some tips for Romney’s Israel visit Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy David Brin ENCINITAS, California –Folks have been writing in, ever since I posted the latest version of my “Names of Infamy” essay. In fact, during just the last few days there has been a noticeable media swell – – a growing movement not to mention the name of the Aurora/Batman shooter. As reported by
Gun control, no! Machine gun control is another matter Read More »
USA