Polls show that white Americans don’t empathize with black kids who get shot by white cops, or with blacks who complain about abuse by police. Here’s a handy exercise clueless whites can use to walk a few seconds in black people’s shoes.
Four Hours of Sleep is Enough
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The Obama Administration told a UN committee investigating torture by the US and its adherence to the Convention Against Torture (CAT) that it wants to guarantee future US torture victims no more than four hours of sleep.
Warmonger Fired by Bigger Warmonger
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Obama has fired his secretary of defense, a veteran and Republican, for not being militarily aggressive enough. How much the system has changed…wasn’t Obama the guy who ran in 2008 against “stupid wars”?
Ship of Fools
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Writing in the New York Times, Andrew Ross Sorkin notes the difference between the way boards compensate their CEOs and ordinary workers. CEOs get more pay than they request because they think the best CEOs get paid the most. But they don’t have the same idea about the rest of us.
Two More Years
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Two years before leaving office, President Obama is offering approximately 5 million illegal immigrants temporary legal status. But what happens if they come out of the shadows, and then the political climate changes due, for example, to a nativist Republican presidential administration?
Masters of Sameness
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From dead CEOs to live presidents, rich and powerful men often choose to wear the same clothes every day. What’s with that, and does it matter?
Best System Over
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Between vast reserves of cash, her own giant Super PAC and a ground operation in waiting, Hillary Clinton appears to have the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 all locked up. So it’s unlikely that anyone will attempt, much less succeed, in challenging her.
We Want You (Conditions May Apply)
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The US Army in particular and the US military in general are laying off numerous career officers, forcing them to retire at reduced rank and thus significantly lower pay. So much for all the promises those recruiters make.
Five Wrongs Make a Right
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Voter ID laws passed by dozens of states prevent Americans from choosing from two parties, neither of whom care about their concerns. At a certain point, you have to wonder: do multiple wrongs make a right?
Man on the Street
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Before and after elections, Americans interviewed on national television repeatedly display their ignorance of politics and current events. So why is it a good idea to encourage MORE people to vote?
