Blaming the Victim, or Digging for Wisdom?

As a man dedicated to stopping the widespread abuse of children, I am very much an ally in this particular fight (“Me too.”). I don’t deserve to be attacked like this. These people don’t know me and the work that I do. They don’t know the trauma I’ve suffered and its long-term effects, effects that I deal with every day of my life. They were wrong to do what they did, but they are not alone in carrying responsibility.

Dying for the Empire Is Not Heroic

Predictably, the news media spent most of the week examining words Donald Trump may or may not have spoken to the widow of an American Green Beret killed in Niger, in northwest Africa, in early October. Not only was this coverage tedious, it was largely pointless. We know Trump is a clumsy boor, and we also know that lots of people are ready to pounce on him for any sort of gaffe, real or imagined. Who cares? It’s not news. But it was useful to those who wish to distract Americans from what really needs attention: the U.S. government’s perpetual war.

Alex’s Journey, and Writing Fiction (1h21m) – Episode 085

Episode 085 welcomes Alex Knight, III to the podcast for a chat with Skyler. Topics include: large print books, becoming a fiction writer, his rock bands, growing up in the Northeast United States, his parents, political awareness as a teen, marijuana legalization, Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, Harry Browne, Marc Stevens and his No State Project, thoughts on veganism, dating as an anarchist, libertarian themed short stories, and Netflix recommendations.

“Me Too” is a Branch Issue, and a Distraction

My first reaction to this campaign was a bit of umbrage on the part of lumping the many degrees of sexual harassment in with the many degrees of sexual assault. They aren’t the same. I shared that first reaction on Facebook in a couple of places and got some interesting discussion going. But as I thought about it some more, I realized what was going on here.