Libertarian Seattle Times calls for government handouts
In recent editorials, the Seattle Times editorial board and publisher have called for government aid to help save locally-owned journalism, which has suffered due to the economics of the internet, media consolidation, Wall Street predation, and, recently, the covid-19 virus. In a full-page letter to readers (Sunday, Aug 9), publisher Frank A. Blethen called for…
Pastor Leslie Braxton’s denunciation of Trump and his supporters
When a nation elects a man as manifestly depraved and ill suited to be president as Donald Trump it is evident of a deep moral and spiritual sickness throughout that nation. Trump did not seize the presidency by force. He did not storm the nation’s capital with a military host. No, 63+ million Americans walked…
Rep. Adam Smith and the 2021 NDAA
(update 2020-07-10) Rep. Adam Smith (D -CD09 WA), Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, is continuing his mostly hawkish management of the Pentagon with the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA raises the base Pentagon budget to $740.5 billion (versus $738 this for the 2020 budget). It restricts President Trump’s ability to withdraw troops…
Change Washington State’s Seal to include the face of Booker T. Washington
George Washington was a slave owner. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery but rose to be a great orator, educator and statesman. It is fitting, in this era of Black Lives Matter, that Washington State officially change its seal to include Booker T.’s face, not George’s.
Stopping war with China
The following youtube video by the U.S. military documents the training exercises of the US and Philippines militaries in preparation for war with China, regarding contested islands claimed by both China and Philippines.  The film has rousing martial music, with beating drums. It shows military equipment and soldiers landing on islands — reminiscent of…
How much does the U.S. spend on the military? A least 24% of the federal budget.
Rep. Adam Smith said in a town hall meeting with Indivisible Saturday (June 19) that 15% of federal spending goes to the military. I looked at the CBO’s data on federal spending at The Federal Budget in 2019: An Infographic. For 2019 it says that $676 billion was spent on “Defense” and that total federal…