Category Archives: Social Commentary

Life In Japan: Benten Shrine Ceremony

Posted on July 12, 2017 by johnrachel

This past weekend was our annual Benten Shrine ceremony. The whole celebration took about an hour. Lots of smiles, good will, warm feelings. Life in Japan is still full of wonder for me. What a fascinating country! Continue reading →

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Life In Japan: I Love Japan Redux

Posted on June 12, 2017 by johnrachel

Japanese have kept alive some traditions which promote sense of community, and the shared responsibility of living in that community. They create opportunities to work together for the common good, get to know one another, and just enjoy other folks who happen to live in the same geographical setting. This is what America desperately needs to overcome the fear, divisiveness, isolation, fragmentation. Here’s a challenge to my fellow Americans: How do you think people would react if you went from house to house and said, “How about if we get together and clean up the neighborhood, plant some flowers, then have a nice barbecue?” Continue reading →

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Life In Japan: Clouds of Pollen in the Spring

Posted on April 25, 2017 by johnrachel

Nothing like some scientific knowledge to fill in the blanks, those blanks being the desolate stretches in our brains which result in a lack of understanding and appreciation for the magnificent workings of nature. Continue reading →

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Dealing With A Serial Killer

Posted on April 1, 2017 by johnrachel

There’s a serial killer on the loose. Eight to ten people a month have been murdered over the past several years. This has got to stop! So decide to get tough and pull out all of the weapons at our disposal: We take out full-page ads in the newspaper, have street demonstrations. We sell t-shirts, have lots of expert discussion on TV, we send emails, mount a huge telephone campaign, have a Town Hall meeting, and even organize a petition! It’s a smashing success. Everyone (who’s still alive) signs the petition! For some reason the killing doesn’t stop. Where did we go wrong? Continue reading →

Posted in Deconstruction, Democracy, Nihilism, Satire, Social Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s wrong with this picture?

Posted on March 19, 2017 by johnrachel

Want to make America safe? Want to make America loved and respected throughout the world? Halt the famine that is now developing in Africa and put a permanent end to world hunger. Our nation will no longer be looked at as the propagators of death and destruction but be heralded as saviors and saints. Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Food, Political Analysis, Political Rant, Social Commentary, War and Peace | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Warren Buffett or Jimmy Buffett?

Posted on January 31, 2017 by johnrachel

The Warren Buffett Rule for reforming Congress is a nice idea. In fact, it’s a great idea! But it suffers from one fatal flaw. It would have to be passed by Congress. And as the record clearly shows, our current Congress will do nothing for everyday citizens. They are 100% loyal to, in fact owned by, the rich and powerful. Until we replace 95% of those currently in our legislative bodies, we can kiss good-bye any hope of getting anything done which will benefit the vast majority of us. We need to stop kidding ourselves and get to work: Regime change in Washington DC! Continue reading →

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All boats rise in a rising tide? Really?

Posted on January 27, 2017 by johnrachel

Wealth is a zero-sum game. Thus, all boats in an economic environment don’t rise with the tide. Some are swamped and sink. We now have the most grotesque levels of wealth inequality in history, both in the United States and across the globe. Continue reading →

Posted in Banking, Corporatism, Deconstruction, Economics, Political Analysis, Social Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Megaphonics

Posted on January 22, 2017 by johnrachel

Each of us is identified with a nation. We both have the rights and privileges that are conferred by citizenship, and likewise have a stake in what that nation does in our name, hence a responsibility not just to be aware of those activities but to be discerning, and laudatory or critical when necessary. The logical extension of this is that it is vitally important we each decide what kind of nation we want America to be, and to share that vision with others. Continue reading →

Posted in Deconstruction, Democracy, Political Analysis, Social Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Take it to the streets!

Posted on December 26, 2016 by johnrachel

Effective street protests are no longer possible. Even Micah White, one of the founders of OWS, has declared that things have changed and we need to find different mechanisms for demanding reform. Continue reading →

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The Politics of Panic and Puerile Propaganda

Posted on December 19, 2016 by johnrachel

Every day I scan the pages and websites of main stream media and nowhere can I find a discussion of truly critical issues, much less a serious attempt to address them with cogent, creative, promising solutions. This should be shocking but it’s not. It’s the new normal. Continue reading →

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