Homeless
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A neighborhood stroll turns into a laborious attempt to help a homeless woman find shelter. And my efforts yielded real knowledge: She wasn’t homeless, and I wasn’t really helping. Continue reading
Author Archives: Constance McCutcheon
Buberian Obesity
On a chance afternoon walk in late May, I had occasion to witness an incident that instantly established in my mind the connection between Martin Buber’s world view and the cause of morbid obesity. Let me give a little background . . . Continue reading
Get in the Car
The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, occasioned U.S. leaders to follow the groundswell of outrage and finally embrace the daring resolution required to drive the nation’s white-hot demand for change into legislative chambers. No wonder. Never has the plight of the oppressed been depicted so succinctly. Continue reading
The Hierarchy Upon Us
The vast social contract that binds us, which rescues us from a brute state of “warre of every one against every one,” nevertheless grants us generous leeway to establish our own brutish hierarchies within it. To work our way up, we must acquire wealth, which can incentivize a host of good qualities. Ascents can also reflect treachery, deception, and acts of theft. Continue reading
Courage, Mitt
The apology Mitt Romney gave for casting his lone Republican vote to convict at Trump’s impeachment trial was deeply emotional. Odd that he had to plumb his soul before calling a spade a spade. Continue reading
It’s Mueller Time!
“Small” and “bully” are words presidential candidate Kamala Harris used recently to criticize President Trump. The provocation this time was Trump’s performance at his North Carolina rally on July 17. Unfortunately, Harris is wrong about the small part. Trump is huge. His latest conquest was in forcing a reluctant Robert S. Mueller III to give testimony before two House committees on July 24. Mueller prevailed. Continue reading
Dangerous Absolution
Beware of paying off foolish debts. Better to demonize hack creditors knowing it’s optional bondage than to twist fully conscious in the grip of implacable destiny. I only say this because I had a bad week. Continue reading
Chain of Command
We know by this time that Trump mixes things up. We have been dismayed to see, time after time, how generously his ignorance mitigates his prevarications. Did he lie or really not know? But he better be careful when he fiddles with facts about commands he issues to the military. Continue reading
Corporate Algorithm Addendum
My recent suggestion to reduce the U.S. wealth gap by introducing an algorithm that more equitably distributes corporate income excited objections, such as: It wouldn’t be fair to pay everyone too equally. Low earners get paid what they’re worth. CEOs deserve top compensation for facing high risk. This addendum addresses those objections. Continue reading
A Corporate Algorithm
Letting the top 1% accumulate so much wealth, then taxing it to redistribute that wealth can’t work. By the time taxes are applied, the damage has been done. To close the wealth gap, we must keep individuals from getting so rich in the first place. Continue reading