Philosophy

By David Swanson

John Dean, former legal counsel to Richard Nixon, is 95% recovered from a long bout of conservatism, and he doubts that many others can make the same recovery, but I don’t.

Dean’s published two excellent books on the Bush-Cheney administration’s abuses of power. The first was “Worse Than Watergate.” The new one is “Conservatives Without Conscience.” The title is a play on former Senator Goldwater’s “The Conscience of a Conservative,” read more

By Jan Frel
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/frel/38280

I have two people in my close family who are long-time members of some very weird Christian splinter groups. One of them, who I won’t identify, is a Jehovah’s Witness. This relative — an adherent for more than 20 years — walks around, knocks on doors, passes out literature with some of the most laughable illustrations I’ve ever seen in my life. The most common pastiche is one composed of what look like off-duty read more

By Laura Sheahen, Beliefnet
http://www.alternet.org/story/36195/

Sam Harris is not your grandfather’s atheist. The award-winning writer practices Zen meditation and believes in the value of mystical experiences. But he’s adamant in his belief that religion does more harm than good in the world, and has sparked controversy by suggesting that when it comes to faith-based violence, religious moderates are part of the problem, not the solution.

Laura Sheahen spoke with him about his provocative read more

By MELISSA FLETCHER STOELTJE
San Antonio Express-News LINK TO ORIGINAL

SAN ANTONIO — Melissa and Chanse nibble on club sandwiches and french fries at a local coffee shop. To look at them, they’re just another young couple enjoying lunch on a weekday afternoon.

She wears stylish glasses, and her thick black hair is swept up in a ponytail; the only hint of a slightly rebellious streak is the tattoo that peeks from under her shirtsleeve. He is a slight, soft-spoken man with a laid-back read more

By David Swanson

There is a solution that most of us are not seriously considering but should be. We are all increasingly aware of the problem: a world that lacks peace, democracy, an equitable distribution of resources, and practices that can be sustained without risking the viability of human life.

We can shift blame to the powerful, but were we all willing to do a bit more, we would ourselves become the powerful. There are no excuses. We must look at ourselves and our neighbors and ask what read more