'Zero Dark Thirty' distorts important events

During the era of President George W. Bush and the increasingly widespread use of torture by the CIA and their associates, often at secretive blacksites located on the soil of repressive regimes, the debate as to the effectiveness of torture raged throughout the media. As much as the supporters of ...

Interest inflation eventually unsustainable

The impact of usury on our world runs far deeper than making the rich richer and the poor poorer — with all the social tensions that engenders. It exacerbates some of the most critical problems of our time.

In essence, usury is wanting something for nothing. Lending money involves no input ...

Some debt healthy for nation

I have a lot of issues with conservative thought, but after such a humiliating defeat last November, you'd think the right would be trying to rebrand themselves with a little more finesse. But the battle-cry of financial responsibility is still at the forefront of so many legislative skirmishes, still ...

Mind emerges from physical phenomenon

Indeed we are different from other animals in that fewer principles of social behavior are communicated only by gesticulation, and more by words. But what they have undeniably in common is their utility in maintaining and fostering the unity of a group. People possess a linguistic version of the near ...

Empathy emerges from evolution

Human nature simply cannot be understood in isolation from the rest of nature.

We are animals not only in body but also in mind. This idea may prove hard to swallow. We are so convinced that humans are the only intelligent life on earth that we search for other intelligent ...

Technology must preserve autonomy

Like the minority of anti-federalists early in our country questioning the viability of a more consolidated government, it is more than just a valuable skill to recognize dangerous societal precedents as they are developing. It's a strength that unfortunately only a minority possess, and it does indeed take strength ...

Capitalism brings triumph, tragedy

Capitalism and public safety nets are classically seen as being in different political camps. The freer the market, it is often said, the less need there is for them. What this ignores is that market capitalism puts a lot of stress on the cultural safety nets we've relied on ...

Financial system presents paradox

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." — Aldous Huxley

When Christianity was the West's main system of control, some of the finest minds in the world were employed to articulate brilliant, complex, philosophical arguments in defense of the various paradoxes which sprout from a belief in ...

Religious ideology too close to politics

In America, there are still two cultural champions vying for supremacy over the American soul. Christianity and consumerism — the Pillars of Hercules for the modern age — shakily supporting the status quo of the first hyperpower alone on the world stage. As the signs of old age and decay begin taking ...

Music industry exploits artists

I've never payed much attention to the music industry. Video games are my thing. I'll go my entire life not knowing or caring what the acceptably garbled lyrics of any given song from any given genre. I'm glad to see many people are disillusioned with it to ...

Mental health key to reducing violent crime

The fact that so many people are still jumping on this "assault weapon" ban wagon provokes me to reiterate the main overlooked points that have led to this laughable nation discussion on gun control.

I'd use the word "uncritical" as well, but it almost seems unnecessary in light of ...

Fossil fuel desperation jeopardizes future

Despite the ubiquitous physical luxury and respite from the chaos of the elements that the lucky majority of us enjoy in the industrialized world, we pay for it with the severe consequences of the powerful technology we employ. It's the heavily swinging pendulum that brings an unknowable blessing and ...

Media mishandled situation at Newtown

Alienating rhetoric is often the downfall of otherwise substantial argument. Too applicable to this is the gun control controversy that our nation’s media (or government, bit of a chicken-or-the-egg thing there) has hatched up in response to an event where children were targeted. Again we have a situation where ...

Nation needs real gun reform, not rhetoric

National reactions to tragedies like the ones that recently happened have always left me ambivalent. On the one hand, it seems natural and good that a nation should come together and offer its collective sympathy for such a violent anomaly. Not that one can ever truly empathize with such sudden ...

Drone killings threaten human rights

The lack of controversy surrounding the drone-initiated murder of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son is indicative of how silent the vast majority of Americans are on an expanding assassination program. This is a government that will assassinate U.S. citizens without trial. A recent Washington Post/ABC News ...