APA Eastern Division meeting: Registration is underway!

Dear DAVID, Online registration for the Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association is open. The 2020 meeting will take place January 8–11 in Philadelphia, PA. Register now to take advantage of the early bird registration rates: $125 for APA members, $240 for non-members, and $40 for student members. Online registration will close December 19. Eastern meeting registration will not be available December 20 through January 7. You will be able to register on-site at the meeting; however, on-site registration rates will be $50 higher than early bird registration for all categories. Please note: You’ll save an additional $5 on meeting registration if you opt not to receive a paper copy of the program. The meeting program is available online, and our free meeting app for smartphones and tablets will also contain the full program. Hotel reservations may be made at the Philadelphia 201 Hotel at the special conference rate of $149 per night (plus applicable taxes and fees). The group rate is in effect through December 6, subject to availability. Haven’t yet renewed your membership? Renew now! In order to receive the discounted meeting rate available only to paid members, your APA membership must be current.   Register online now for the 2020 Eastern Division meeting. We look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia! All the best, Amy E. Ferrer Executive Director

DONALD TRUMPS AMERICA: MY WAY, OR ELSE. PART 2. (DATE: AUGUST,29,2017)

Now the question must be asked: Why is Donald Trump behaving in a manner that would seem to be
consistent with A WANNABE STRONGMAN/DICTATOR, WHOSE IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR ONLY SERVES THE INTERESTS OF THE EXTREMIST WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

1-  His Campaign Strategy was exactly what you would expect from a Candidate who sought to Divide the Country by RACIAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC LINES. There is NOTHING HE HAS SAID, OR DONE, WHILE OCCUPYING THE WHITE HOUSE THAT SHOULD SUPRISE ANYONE WHO LISTENED TO HIS CAMPAIGN RHETORIC. TRUMP IS EXACTLY WHAT WE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE...

...AND IN THE WHITE HOUSE HE SITS.

2-  He did not earn the office of PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THROUGH A FAIR AND HONEST ELECTION.  BOGUS VOTER TOTALS HANDED HIM THE OFFICE...
(See my posts on this subject.)

...AND IN THE WHITE HOUSE HE SITS.

3-  The Traditional Republican leadership supports him as long as Their Monetary Policies are tied up with the success of the SOCIETY OF HATE AGENDA THAT FUELS THE NEW FASCIST ELEMENT OF THE GOP.  They only turn on him if Their Financial Agenda of DISREGARDING THE NEEDS OF MOST AMERICANS, TO BENEFIT THE WEALTHY, FAILS...

...AND IN THE WHITE HOUSE HE SITS.

4-  Using the Office of President to Endorse and Promote "WEALTH BUILDING" programs on the Internet...

...AND IN THE WHITE HOUSE HE SITS.

GIVEN ALL OF THE ABOVE, WHY SHOULD TRUMP HOLD BACK HIS DESIRE TO MOLD
THE U.S. INTO A COUNTRY THAT MIMICS THE BELIEFS OF HIS BIGGEST SUPPORTERS,
THE FAR RIGHT FANATICS. AFTER ALL, NO CONSEQUENCES SO FAR...

DONALD TRUMPS AMERICA: MY WAY, OR ELSE. PART 1. (DATE: AUGUST,3, 2017)

As the TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES ITS MARCH TO THE ABYSS, PROGRESSIVES, LIBERALS AND OTHER GROUPS THAT HAVE OPPOSED HIM FROM THE BEGINNING MUST REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING:

HE ATTAINED THE OVAL OFFICE THROUGH A SHAM ELECTION, WHERE THE RESULTS WERE INITIALLY ACCEPTED BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF LAWMAKERS AND POLITICIANS WITHOUT ANY SCRUTINY.

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE DONALD TRUMPS ABILITY TO USE WHATEVER MEANS IS NECESSARY TO ADVANCE THE AGENDA OF THOSE WHO HELPED HIM ATTAIN POWER. HIS DECISION TO BAR OR REMOVE TRANSGENDER AMERICANS FROM THE MILITARY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE, FOR IT ACCOMPLISHED TWO THINGS;


1)  IT GAVE THE FAR RIGHT A "TENTATIVE VICTORY" THAT IT COULD POINT TO AS PROOF THAT THEY WERE STILL A FORCE THAT COULD MOLD PUBLIC POLICY.

and...

2)  DONALD TRUMP RE-AFFIRMED, TO THE FAR RIGHT, THAT HE WAS STILL THEIR CHAMPION. THIS MEANS THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO ABANDON THE IDEOLOGY THAT THEY BELIEVE ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE FORCED TO CONFORM TO.


That being said, what can be done to stop DONALD TRUMP, AND HIS SUPPORTERS FROM DRAGGING THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES INTO A HATE FILLED "HOLY WAR", WHERE DISAGREEING WITH, OR OPPOSING DONALD TRUMP IS MET WITH A TEMPER TANTRUM, AND FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO SUBVERT CONSTITUTIONAL LAW.

A good place to start is to acknowledge the following:  That the Agenda of the FAR RIGHT FANATIC is to turn the U.S. into an OLIGARCHY, WHERE POLITICAL POWER RESTS IN THE HANDS OF A CHOSEN FEW.

However, BEING OPEN ABOUT SUCH A GOAL WOULD NOT PLAY WITH THE AVERAGE VOTER, SO MORE SUBTLE FORMS OF PERSUASION MUST BE USED TO DECEIVE AND MISLEAD.

ONE EXAMPLE IS THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. SINCE THE SENATE FAILED TO OVERTURN THE LAW, DONALD TRUMP IS CONSIDERING MORE INSIDIOUS WAYS TO GET THE LAW REMOVED.  HERE IS AN EXAMPLE;

CAUSING FAILURE BY SABOTAGE, AND NOT ALLOWING 
THE LAW TO SUCCEED OR FAIL ON ITS OWN MERITS.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:  

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN... 

...THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT FAILING TO ACHIEVE SPECIFIC GOALS...

...AND...

...THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BEING PREVENTED FROM ACHIEVING SPECIFIC GOALS.

OR

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN...

...THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT NOT BEING STRUCTURED
PROPERLY, WHERE DEFICIENCIES CANNOT BE ADDRESSED AND CHANGED...

...AND...

...IGNORING THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST IN LAW TO CORRECT DEFICIENCIES.

SEE PART 2.

ETHICS AND MORALITY- HEALTH CARE. PT 3.

In the end, subsidized health care is not an economic issue.  When we say that government has an obligation to provide all citizens with affordable medical insurance,  a moral decision has been made.  That does not mean that in the future such a decision will not lead to practical benefits, where the return is not in just doing what is right.  I will get into that part of the equation in a future post, but for now I will stay on topic.

In the debate over Universal Health Care in the U.S, much of the rhetoric ignores the bottom line.  Opponents are using objections that they wish us to believe are valid and on target, but they are nothing more than a smokescreen.  They choose to criticize how the program is to be funded and administered, all the while avoiding answering the most important question;  IS PROVIDING AFFORDABLE SUBSIDIZED MEDICAL INSURANCE TO AMERICANS UNABLE TO ACQUIRE IT, THROUGH PRIVATE SOURCES, A MORAL OBLIGATION THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO ALL OF ITS' CITIZENS?

 

The above question is often not satisfactorily answered by the critics of subsidized health care, who choose to attack the mechanics of the new law.  However, the criticisms are often based on misleading, false or incomplete data.  This strategy is a deliberate attempt to shift the debate away from the purpose of the program and focus it on issues that are easy to manipulate.  Many times this is done by using assumptions and conclusions that are not based in reality.