Why Social Security is Not a “Promise” to Citizens

…s. While it’s true that the complexities in the Social Security system are complicated, contradictory and complex, it’s also true that people know that politicians (in both parties) are filled with lies. When you occasionally get one who hints at the truth, that politician is promptly shot down, and would never be reelected. That much is the people’s fault. In a democracy, as Ayn Rand said, most people are getting the government they deserve. Come… Continue reading

What Americans Still Haven’t Learned from the Ebola Crisis

…id the land of Thomas Jefferson, the U.S. Constitution and James Madison become a system where people now aspire to be “czars”? TheStar.com (Toronto Star) reports that a Canadian-made HIV vaccine has cleared a major hurdle. Scientists announced last Tuesday that initial results from human clinical trials show no adverse effects and significantly boosted immunity. Developed by researchers at Western University in London, Ont., it’s the first and on… Continue reading

Jihad Comes to Oklahoma

…o see their fellow non-jihadist Muslims — the vast majority — as decadent, compromised, dead in their faith. [Source: pjmedia.com 9/26/14] This passage is an unusually eloquent description, not just of jihadists, but of the psychology of hatred. “Hatred” is a concept and word thrown around casually nowadays. What does it actually mean? Hatred occurs when a person holding a different point of view cannot tolerate the presence of someone who doesn’t… Continue reading

“It’s All My Therapist’s Fault!”

…r, as I said. If you want to be angry with the therapist, be angry for that reason. But don’t blame anyone else for your wife’s decision. And perhaps consider why she was unhappy with you in the first place. Dr. Hurd’s book is available for sale at DrHurd.com and Amazon.com, including in the Kindle version.   Be sure to “friend” Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articl… Continue reading

The Child Within is Sometimes an Idiot

…hilosophy of life, aided (when and if necessary) by good therapy grounded in that philosophy, are the means to rejecting the deterministic ‘help me!’ viewpoint in favor of a life-affirming and confident one. Dr. Hurd’s book is available for sale at DrHurd.com and Amazon.com, including in the Kindle version.   Be sure to “friend” Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articl… Continue reading

The Problem With Republicans

…st.   Special Note: Re: Questions following Daily Dose of Reason at DrHurd.com. The ability to comment has been removed from DrHurd.com. The primary reason for this are the repeated insults, cursing and inane postings from those who resent some of my opinions and/or writings — for no other reason than that they are there. As the saying goes, those who “know the least know it the loudest.” And those who know nothing at all do so with unfounded pers… Continue reading

Dealing with Job Loss

…k might have sounded like this: ‘I must be worthwhile! Look at my career accomplishments.’ Accomplishments do say something about you, but it doesn’t logically follow that the virtuous traits and qualities that gave rise to those accomplishments suddenly disappear simply because of a change in economic conditions. One victim of job loss, writing on allaboutlifechallenges.com, states, ‘Coping with job loss can create an identity crisis. I lost the… Continue reading

Brian Williams vs. The Truth

…legitimate state of confusion, or something else. [Reported at dailycaller.com and cnn.com 2/5/15] To quote a reader and associate of mine: “Hey, it’s a mistake anyone could make. Why, just last week I spent a day and a half thinking about nearly dying in a Kabul firefight before I realized that I’d just driven through the car wash.” Exactly. The question here isn’t why Williams did this. He’s a liar and a fraud, and we know that liars and frauds… Continue reading

What if ISIS Pushes Beyond the Middle East?

…claim. Yet what does ISIS have to say? Consider the following from pjmedia.com 2/24/15: An ISIS e-book on how to accomplish their caliphate goal of sacking Rome stresses enlisting “the Islamic State’s secret weapon = secret white converts” to take on Italy. Much of the book, “Black Flags from Rome,” is dedicated to laying out a case for why Muslims in Europe should rise up and assist ISIS from within, citing justifications for discontent from mode… Continue reading

“Detach With Love”: Not Yours to Fix

…ijacks the brain. It can be arrested but not cured. This helped me develop compassion toward my son and recognize that my fixing was fear-based. I had to learn how to take care of myself and navigate that thin line between helping and enabling. Is this good for me? Can I live with the outcome of my decision? What are my motives? What are my choices? Is this a wise choice? It took me a long time to slow down and not jump in to fix things. Now when… Continue reading

Bernie Sanders: “Socialist Surge”…or Last Gasp?

…say so. How dare you suggest that anyone should have to cut back?” What a complete, moronic idiot. The almost funny thing? He — and his supporters — think he’s original, “progressive” and different. When you pool everyone’s money, you take away the incentive, pride and feeling of ownership that comes with being allowed to keep what you earn. These are the qualities that Bernie Sanders openly condemns, with unflinching hostility. Yet he’s counting… Continue reading

Low Self-Esteem at Colleges (Even Harvard): What’s Going On?

…better. What’s the problem? Students are more prone than ever before to become offended. Once they become offended, they’re extremely angry and they threaten the offending teacher (even a liberal one, in his case) with rebukes, reprisals, formal complaints and even unemployment. Although Schlosser does not identify the basic problem, he’s talking about the primacy of emotions over reason, objectivity and truth. He’s also talking about the growing… Continue reading