Politics and Science

             I support competitive pay for politicians for the following two reasons. First, when governments don’t pay their politicians much, then they become corrupt, typically because their salaries are so low, so they seek ways to supplement their income. Second, if politicians are not paid well, then those jobs are only attractive to the wealthy. I do not want corrupt politicians, and I do not want only the wealthy to be politicians. I want politicians’ pay to be competitive with the stress and responsibility of their jobs.

 Governor Kim Reynolds introduced some disturbing proposals from Iowa tonight. From what I could tell, none of them were grounded in evidenced-based practices.       She suggested a flat income tax at around four percent, eliminating taxes on retirement income, and cutting taxes on shares of corporations given to employees. This is largely regressive.       She attacked electric vehicles and suggested more biofuels and carbon capture. None of that will help the climate crisis. It will just help big agribusiness.     She said that items in school libraries should be published online, and that what was being taught in school should also be published online, so parents could approve of it. Parents aren't experts in education- teachers and administrators are.      She said that she would be cutting unemployment benefits, and that the social safety net had become a hammock. She said that people on unemployment would be giv...

             In the past, the press has tried to objective. Objectivity is not passive, but involves accountability and justice. That means telling the truth to their consumers and speaking truth to power. However, the press should not be neutral. If the press tried to be neutral by telling the Democrat and Republican side equally, then their consumers would be left confused by the two different accounts. If one politician from one party lets a pandemic decimate their state or country, objectivity doesn’t mandate that we portray their actions in neutral terms, but that we hold them, their words, and their actions accountable. If one politician says or does something inappropriate, then we should hold them accountable and tell the truth, not tell both sides, not tell the aggressor and victim's side equally. The press should also not be value neutral. Value neutrality involves refusing to take a stand on a moral issue between two sides. For example, on...