Category Archives: Political Commentary

Were the U.S. (today) in charge of East Germany (in the `80s), Communism Wouldn’t Have Fallen

It’s Independence Day back in the states, but here in Germany, they don’t seem to celebrate it (not sure why yet, but I’m on the case). I had a worrisome thought tonight. I realized that oppressive communism as it functioned … Continue reading

Posted in 2015, Ethics, Political Commentary, Political Philosophy, Travelogue, Travelogue 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Kein Mensch ist Illegal”

I’ve been noticing graffiti and stickers bearing this slogan around town here in Dresden, and I did twenty seconds of web searching to figure out what it’s about. I had a half-understanding of this from just reading the text of … Continue reading

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What Miranda v. Arizona Can Teach Us about Intelligence Dragnets in the Age of Terror

Recently, I spent some time listening to the oral arguments at the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS, of course!) from the 1960s. Specifically, I was listening to the Miranda v. Arizona case from 1965. You know the one: as a … Continue reading

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Edward Snowden: Hero and Traitor?

It seems odd but predictable that no one in the mainstream has yet floated the idea that Edward Snowden could be both traitor and hero simultaneously. The headlines all ask: “Is Snowden a Hero or a Traitor?” or some variation … Continue reading

Posted in Political Commentary, Rough Ideas and Arguments | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

In Defense of Obstruction and Delay

In March of 2013, Americans were reminded of a little used, but of late oft-threatened, quirk of political procedure in the American Senate. Rand Paul (R-KY) reached into his senators’ toolkit and pulled out the filibuster. He spoke for over … Continue reading

Posted in Political Commentary, Political Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments