Thinking It Through: Four poor excuses for political apathy
By Richard Reeb
For the Victorville Daily Press
For all its problems, the United States of America is the best country for human happiness in the world today. But whether it’s because of its problems, or the belief that it has none, many citizens refrain from or disdain political participation, leaving that challenging and frustrating task to others.
Typically, these folks mean no harm, not becoming open enemies or finding refuge in factionalism, but they are missing out and not just skipping out on citizenship.
Under this category, I have discerned four basic types.
Your Letters: April 27, 2021
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Thinking It Through: Commerce should not be taken for granted or abused
By Richard Reeb
For the Victorville Daily Press
The pandemic shutdown we continue to experience far beyond its utility effectively caused an economic recession as unemployment and bankruptcy soared, further exacerbated by the protests that were indistinguishable from riots, now resumed and apparently taking up permanent residence in our national life.
This is nothing new as massive government intervention in and interference with commerce has driven primarily Democratic Party leaders for generations whether it’s the New Deal or the Great Society or Transformation.
One does not have to be a cynic to wonder out loud whether blue state governors and local leaders fondly seized upon the crisis they could not bear to see “go to waste” and transformed the Trump administration’s prosperity into misery for millions.
Thinking It Through: Politics or tribalism, America s choice
By Richard Reeb
For the Victorville Daily Press
Politics has long had a bad name but it is far preferable to the available alternatives. Ever since the Greek city, or polis, superseded clans as the effective and superior governing unit, true citizenship emerged, and politicians discussed and deliberated prior to taking action. But in the rest of the world, individuals were submerged in tribal identities borne of kinship, race or skin color.
As civilized as Greek cities were, they had a major difficulty in that they were weak in the face of empires established by the various conquerors of the many tribes that characterized much of the world. After years of waging war on each other, they fell to Alexander the Great of Macedonia and ultimately were swallowed up by the Roman Empire.
Thinking It Through: Hinkley’s illegal marijuana grows pit criminals against citizens
By Richard Reeb
For the Victorville Daily Press
The community of Hinkley drew worldwide attention 25 years ago when Pacific Gas and Electric was ordered to pay millions in damages to residents for the chromium-6 poisoning of their drinking water. The effects of that local calamity are apparent by the total absence of the many homes that once filled the weed-covered blocks left behind.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the remaining souls now must contend with nearly two years of encroachment by large-to-massive illegal marijuana grows that menacingly dominate the landscape.
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