Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 115

Alcohol vs. marijuana

California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada legalized recreational marijuana in the last election, joining Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and our nation’s capital. This trend has the alcohol industry worried.  The fear is that as people pick their poison, they will choose marijuana for their intoxicant instead of beer or liquor.  Some alcohol companies are giving money to [Read More...]

Last hope to deny Trump his election fizzles with recount fiasco

The Democrats and the Greenies missed the deadline to request a recount in Pennsylvania.  Though Jill Stein had the money, the backers, and the media attention, this bit of incompetence–requests had to be filed by November 21–pretty much dooms this attempt to stop Donald Trump post-election. Though Stein has filed suit against the deadline, the results [Read More...]

Explaining Advent

Happy New Year!  That is to say, Happy Advent, the beginning of the new church year. Many Christians, including those from churches that haven’t usually done much with the church year other than Christmas and Easter, are discovering Advent.  (See, for example, this piece from the evangelical radio program Breakpoint.) After the jump is an [Read More...]

An epic Christian novel

I’ve just finished Laurus, a novel by the Russian author Eugene Vodolazkin, an Orthodox Christian, and I’m still savoring the experience, which is one of being immersed in the medieval mind. The novel is the story of Arseny, who as a lad is apprenticed to his grandfather, a physician.  Arseny has a gift of healing [Read More...]

The future of “identity liberalism”

Liberals in politics have traditionally focused on issues of class, economics, and public policy.  But lately, liberalism has become obsessed with identity politics–that is, the interests of distinct groups (blacks, gays, Hispanics, single women, etc.).  Mark Lilla calls this “Identity Liberalism,” arguing in the New York Times that this pre-occupation needs to change if his fellow liberals [Read More...]

Fidel Castro is dead

Fidel Castro died at the age of 90, outlasting most of his Cold War adversaries.  But he lived to see Cuba achieving normalized relations with the United States, something he didn’t seem to completely approve of.  That was the doing of his brother Raul, to whom Fidel surrendered power ten years ago. Fidel remains a [Read More...]

Australian Lutherans: Wine and Confession

In the late 1830s, the British colonial government of Australia had a problem.  There was a continual stream of settlers–the ex-convicts who had served their time in the prison colonies–but they were nearly all from the city.  What was needed for Australia to become a self-sustaining colony was farmers.  Colonial officers heard of a group [Read More...]

Russian propaganda and the election

The Washington Post reports that “fake news” circulated before the election–such as reports of Hillary Clinton’s bad health, that the Clinton campaign paid anti-Trump protesters, and accounts of impending international crises–originated in Russia.  Along with the hacked e-mails of the Democratic national committee, the disinformation campaign was designed to spread cynicism about the American system [Read More...]

Recount in the rust-belt states?

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is calling for a recount of the votes in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.  She says that some experts tell her that there may be evidence that voting machines were hacked.  Other experts dispute that claim. As a candidate, Stein is entitled to request a recount, as long as she foots the bill. [Read More...]

Thanksgiving in Australia

It’s strange being in Australia for Thanksgiving.  We’re getting together with some other expatriate Americans, but since no one gets off work for Thursday, we’re going to have our big meal on Saturday.  Though since American Thursday is Australian Friday, we’re off anyway.  Scrounging all over town for Turkey, cranberries, cornmeal (for dressing), and other [Read More...]