Category Archives: Social Commentary

History, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Social Commentary, War Commentary

Fifteen Years On

51 Comments

Falling Man

It’s hard to come up with anything new to say about 9/11, but in the midst of this insane election, I think that this picture could be viewed by many as a metaphor for America, and the overreactionary result was Donald Trump, a man manifestly unqualified for the presidency, whose disqualifying characteristics are exceeded only by those of his sickly, corrupt, incompetent, mendacious, felonious opponent.

I don’t think that Trump will prove to be the parachute that saves the nation — he’s far too ignorant and contemptuous of the Constitution (and much else) — but many do, and that is how he has gotten as far as he has, and may yet win the presidency. And if he does, I think that history will record that the seeds of his victory, for good or ill, were sown on a bright sunny September Tuesday in 2001, and the feckless response of the nation’s “leadership” through three presidential cycles since.

[Update a while later]

Falling man, falling presidential candidate.

[Update a few minutes later]

I should note that one of the reasons I’m showing this picture is that too many people think we shouldn’t see it or be reminded, which gets back to the fecklessness of our “elites.”

History, Media Criticism, Philosophy, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Social Commentary, Space, Space History, Technology and Society

Getting Over “Apolloism”

28 Comments

I’m heading back to California tomorrow, for the first time in about six weeks (the longest I’ve been away from home since I moved back in 2009), but meanwhile, my long-awaited piece in The New Atlantis is on line.

[Update a few minutes later]

Sorry, that’s just a preview, unless you’re a subscriber. The full piece will be free on line in the future, but I’m not sure when.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Social Commentary

Was It Between Golf Rounds?

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Barack Obama sends a memo to Louisiana officials to not discriminate in the distribution of federal funds.

This is the worst natural disaster since Sandy. If Bush was on the links during it, imagine the howls from the media.

Which brings me to another sore point. I think the demand that presidents should show up to a disaster to “feel peoples’ pain” is emotional and stupid. It’s not part of a president’s job description, and like many terrible traditions, it was started by Bill Clinton, after the idiotic media outrage over the GHWB response to Andrew. But I just wish that the media would be consistent, and not hypocritical, in modulating their outrage depending on which political party is in the White House.

History, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Social Commentary

Trump’s Lincolnesque Moment

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I’ve been saying on Twitter that I’ve been waiting for years for a Republican to call out the Democrats on not just their historic, but current cynical racism and oppression of the black community that turns out to so reliably vote for them. I’m just sad that it took Donald Trump to do it. FWIW, I’ve never accused Trump of being either a racist or a bigot, but I do think that he is cynical himself in allowing racists and bigots to think he is.

Economics, Philosophy, Political Commentary, Social Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

“Wise Guidelines” For Space Policy

24 Comments

At first glance, these suggestions from my long-time friend Linda Billings seem sort of anodyne, but she gives away the game at the end:

Deep in my brain and in my heart I think and feel that colonizing other planets and exploiting extraterrestrial resources would be immoral at this stage of human development. I’m not at all sure that Eilene Galloway would agree with me. I wish I could talk with her about it.

I’m pretty sure that Eilene would disagree. I know for certain that I do.