Barry Goldwater was widely known as a man with extreme views. He is still remembered as the man who said, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” But even Goldwater thought Robert Welch went too far.
Welch founded the John Birch Society in 1958 to oppose what he saw as the growing communist influence in America. Through his publications, he attacked whomever he thought was furthering the interest of the Soviets. He also promoted the idea of impeaching Chief Justice Earl Warren and the withdrawing the U.S. from the United Nations.
He named the John Birch Society after an American military advisor in China who had been killed by communist forces. Welch thought Birch would be a suitable model for the anti-communist cause.
When Welch started his society, the hunt for communist agents and sympathizers was still going strong. Many politicians and journalists were gaining notoriety for their declarations of enmity to communism everywhere. But none were more committed than Welch, who attacked anyone he suspected of colluding with Soviet Russia.
For Americans who value the environment, public land protections and science, the past couple of years have been difficult to take, to say the least. This is no accident, of course, because those values stand in the way of industry profit, and the Trump administration has made no secret of its desire to boost industry profits at the expense of American well-being.
It’s hard to believe that the executive branch would act against the needs and values of everyday Americans and intentionally reduce penalties for those who seek to pollute our air and water. And yet, this is exactly what the current administration is doing. In fact, there has been no effort to hide the anti-environment wish lists behind recent executive actions. To the contrary, federal agencies seem to be competing with one another to be the biggest boosters of big industry.
Somebody was asking earlier today if I had seen the presidential debate last night. The answer is no, I don’t have a television nor do I have the Internet. I thought I catch the highlights of the debate on the morning news, but surprisingly NPR barely mentioned the debate. I guess there wasn’t much newsworthy about the debate.
While I will vote in the Democratic Primary come April, I am not really excited about any of the candidates or races. Politics really doesn’t interest me much anymore, as honestly I think one is better to focus on their own life, rather then distant elected officials in Washington DC. I can’t stop climate change or end the national debt but I can save for retirement and a better tomorrow for myself – and eat healthier foods, spend a lot of time in the wilderness and walk a lot.
Electing one’s ideal candidate is likely to have a much less important then making responsibile choices in one’s own life, and ultimately choosing to live in a community that suits one values. Chances are you can’t change the world but you can change your own life.
Nobody wants to leave their apartment anymore. That’s the prevailing sentiment on the internet, anyway. Mean Girls memes and Viola Davis gifs celebrate the joy of canceling plans. Essays offer neuroscience-backed explanations of the relief that comes with bailing on drinks, while listicles and trend pieces promote the homebody lifestyle. Advice columns enumerate tips for backing out of social plans without losing your friends. The weekly newsletter Girls Night In features “recommendations for a cozy night in” alone or with girlfriends, including books, recipes, gratitude exercises, and candles. And at last count, Etsy offered 11,490 introvert-branded items celebrating a life of blissful solitude, from enamel pins emblazoned with the motto “Anti-Social Butterfly” to t-shirts declaring, “It’s way too people-y outside.”
You know, I really like not having at Internet at home except for my smartphone. Walking down to the public library is healthy and it's a good way to meet people. Plus, with the smartphone, how much do you really need internet on your computer? I just go to the library every once and while to download videos to watch at home, upload large files and get the latest podcasts.
Humans may be hard-wired to feel at peace in the countryside and confused in cities – even if they were born and raised in an urban area.
According to preliminary results of a study by scientists at Exeter University, an area of the brain associated with being in a calm, meditative state lit up when people were shown pictures of rural settings. But images of urban environments resulted in a significant delay in reaction, before a part of the brain involved in processing visual complexity swung into action as the viewer tried to work out what they were seeing.
