Weekend Update 02-18-2012

One of a number of reasons the ACA doesn’t go nearly far enough, though it is a start.

The Cameron government’s austerity plan is working! Except no measure can be found that actually shows positive results.

In this episode of the Hold the Gluten podcast, Maureen’s reaction to her daughter’s diagnosis with celiac. Visit her site and wish her well. As I well know, it’s hard when you find out you’ve passed a genetic disease down to  your children. There’s also an article in the Wall Street Journal about the various classifications they are developing for those who can’t handle gluten. And this is the paper referenced in the article. I found it interesting.

Spanking hurts kids. Period. As usual, the comments on Scot McKnight’s post quoting the article in question sadden me. I’ve never understood why so many people choose to live in delusion when there is so much information and evidence available. Of course, I feel the same way about those who choose to believe things like young earth creationism. I guess I just don’t grasp the willful choice to embrace delusion rather than reality.

Severe Conservative Syndrome. “Tinfoil hats have become a common, if not mandatory, GOP fashion accessory.” Indeed. American “conservatism” (it’s really more a right-wing radical group now than anything that fits under the “conservative” label) seems to be waging war on facts and reality.

Wow. Mitt contradicting himself in the same paragraph. Amazing.

Fr. Orthoduck writes a great post on the absence of a war on religion in the US. Read the post. He starts with a very funny Jon Stewart clip. You won’t regret the time spent.

Moochers Against Welfare. The snarky title is worth a chuckle, but in this column Krugman tackles something that has long bemused me. Republican voters are increasingly electing individuals who actively want to dismantle, reduce, or eliminate programs on which those very same voters depend. It’s a truly bizarre dynamic. I find the Cornell University study he references illuminating. Very nearly half of Americans receiving social security, medicare, or unemployment benefits believe they have never used a government program. It seems the tea party signs at which I’m sure many of us have laughed are not merely a gaffe from a few confused people on the fringe. It certainly seems to indicate that the typical GOP voter has become so out of touch with reality that they will suffer considerable shock if the people for whom they are voting ever actually manage to do the things they say they will do if elected. Republican politicians able to perceive this dynamic must find it awkward.

Yep. The decline of unions is certainly one of the most significant factors in the decline of the median wage over the past three decades. If people knew a thing about modern history (and if you include craft and trade guilds, which served a somewhat similar function, then all the way back to medieval periods) they would understand that dynamic. People today don’t know math, don’t know history, apparently don’t understand science, and have questionable language skills. I’m nearly to the point where I think Americans are getting exactly what they deserve.

Food Rules – A stop-action animated short film narrated by Michael Pollan