I am baffled by the people I encounter in this country who think that “socialized medicine” is evil. I’m not sure how they arrive at this conclusion. It seems that, for some, anything they can label “socialist” is automatically frightening. But we have state-run fire and police departments and military (among many other things), and… Continue reading Americans’ Phobia of Socialized Medicine
Tag: opinion
The Humanist Symposium
To my regular readers: Not too long ago, I (and thousands of others) stumbled across an article titled Atheists and Anger, an articulate, well-thought-out piece which I highly recommend. It had the welcome side effect of introducing me to the wonderful writing of Greta Christina. (Whose themes range far beyond atheism and are not for… Continue reading The Humanist Symposium
The Lawsuit Society
Americans seem to have a very legalistic approach to life – the polar opposite of Italians’ very relaxed attitudes towards the actual law, let alone life in general. Boarding the CalTrain to go back to San Francisco, I had no idea where to put my big suitcase. On the way down I had put it… Continue reading The Lawsuit Society
Raising a Non-Believer
A reader has just written to me: “One was on an essay about Religion as a Cause of Strife in the World – you can bet she went to town on that!” this is a comment you wrote on Ross’ India Diary and i have always wanted to ask you why you believe that Ross… Continue reading Raising a Non-Believer
My Potter Predictions
^ Hari Potter aur Paras Patthar – Harry Potter in Hindi Like most of the reading world, I await with bated breath the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final Harry Potter book. In a moment of pure self-indulgence during my last US trip, I bought Mugglenet.Com’s What Will Happen… Continue reading My Potter Predictions