Monthly Archives: November 2011

Healthcare debate and the lost logic of government [September 2009 CCT]

The great healthcare debacle has provided a disturbing tour through that dark and strange terrain, the American psyche. Why is this such an ordeal for us? Why are we acting so badly? It must seem to the rest of the world like we’re flunking a national IQ test. No one challenges the well-publicized rankings showing […]

November 29, 2011 – 6:01 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Progress: how‘s that workin’ for us? [March 2009 CCT]

100 years ago we were in the early stages of trading in the horse for the horseless carriage. It’s a deal that has cost us several million lives in the century past–about a Vietnam War’s worth every year for decades now. Not pleasant deaths, most of them. And many times that number in injuries, maimings, […]

November 29, 2011 – 5:48 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged | Comments (0)

[ op ed ] Occupy oustings: the emperor’s naked power

As Occupiers seem to know, the crackdown– tents torn down, books and personal belongings confiscated, the arrests, the cowardly pepper spraying at UC Davis—none of this is a defeat. On the contrary, forcing the powers-that-be to show their hand is the biggest victory so far. Almost certainly the 1% didn’t want to resort to police […]

November 29, 2011 – 1:00 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

[ op ed ] Why it’s impossible to be a sports fan

It seems to me one of life’s great mysteries that we root for sports teams. By “we” I mean not just the sort who strip in freezing weather and paint themselves blue, or beat up those who make the wrong choice in their rooting. No, I mean a lot of otherwise quite reasonable people, including […]

November 29, 2011 – 12:56 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)

[ op-ed ] You can’t legislate a meaningful life

Drugs and alcohol are always in the news. These “substances,” as we call them, holding them at arm’s length, that we use and/or abuse — are ongoingly a troubling part of life. It’s hard to imagine a time when that won’t be true. Right now a big story locally is the Truro police chief’s OUI […]

November 4, 2011 – 12:41 pm | By Brent | Posted in Columns | Tagged , | Comments (0)