Columnists

New: THE PUBLIC EYE: The Heartless Economy

By Bob Burnett
Friday June 07, 2013 - 04:06:00 PM

In January of 1968, Dr. Norman Shumway performed the first successful US adult heart transplant at Stanford Hospital in California. At the time, some complained the millions of dollars spent on the operation should have instead been used to feed the thousands of starving children in nearby communities. Nonetheless, the transplants continued and millions of children went hungry. It was a metaphor for the increasingly heartless nature of the US economy.

Recently the economy has seemed to be reviving. Consumer confidence is up, the housing market is booming, and stock market indices have hit new highs. Nonetheless, millions of Americans either have no work or are working far beneath their capability. Almost half of our families have no assets. The 99 percent have been left behind, -more-


ECLECTIC RANT: Can the U.S. Claim Victory in Iraq?

By Ralph E. Stone
Monday June 03, 2013 - 09:24:00 PM

Following the withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq in December 2011, can the U.S. claim victory or did the Obama administration adopt the face-saving solution of “Just declare victory and get out,” a position proposed by the late Senator George Akin of Vermont at the end of the Vietnam war? -more-


DISPATCHES FROM THE EDGE: Afghanistan: Is It Really the End Game?

By Conn Hallinan
Monday June 03, 2013 - 02:19:00 PM

“Gunmen in Pakistan on Monday set ablaze five trucks carrying NATO equipment out of Afghanistan as the international military alliance winds down it combat mission there, officials said.” -more-


New: ON MENTAL ILLNESS: A Comparison With Substance Abuse

By Jack Bragen
Saturday June 08, 2013 - 10:50:00 AM

People seem to perceive persons with mental illness similarly to how they perceive people addicted to drugs. Indeed, sometimes persons with mental illness turn to drugs in a vain effort to get relief from the torment created by their brain condition. -more-


ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Data Corruption

By Jack Bragen
Monday June 03, 2013 - 01:27:00 PM

The human mind is more powerful than any computer that has so far been built on our globe. This processing power greatly increases the likelihood of mental mistakes which I am calling "Human Data Corruption." -more-


SENIOR POWER: Elder Abuse

By Helen Rippier Wheeler
Saturday June 08, 2013 - 10:51:00 AM

The world is undergoing significant demographic changes. By 2050, the global population of people above the age of 60 will probably exceed the number of younger people. Research has shown that elderly abuse is one of the biggest issues facing senior citizens worldwide. World Health Organization data suggest that 4 to 6 % of elderly suffer from some form of abuse, a large percentage of which goes unreported. -more-