Category: NY Times
Legislating titles: “Justice” or “Ms.” Kagan?
July 24th, 2010, No Comments
It used to be that the ‘litmus tests’ in confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justices were about whether candidates were prone to narrow versus broad interpretations of constitutional doctrines. How closely do the original words of the framers of that document approach current issues and customs which might fall under court scrutiny? These days, the [...]
HuMan History: Women’s Suffering Can’t Change It
July 21st, 2010, No Comments
This is the second of three recent Op-Ed columns from the New York Times which are being examined for their common view that the history of men, plural or singular, can somehow be ‘re-written’ by women. Far from the image of an objective reporter, Nicholas Kristoff is a journalist immersed in documenting the moral failures [...]
The History of HuMans
July 20th, 2010, No Comments
Readers are directed to this post introducing three NY Times columns about seemingly unrelated issues. However, there is certainly a common thread to be seen. If we connect the dots between Kristoff’s views and suggestions about the Middle East with the latest local ‘star’ scandal surrounding Mel Gibson, you see a pattern emerging of huMan [...]
Alzheimer’s: Disease or Distraction?
July 14th, 2010, No Comments
An article appearing in today’s NY Times by Gina Kolata (“Rules Seek to Expand Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s“) was naturally disturbing to me. This article didn’t read, “Rules Seek Earlier Detection of Central Nervous System Damage” but named a particular form of pre-senile dementia and, of course, only one way to combat the inevitable decline – [...]
A ‘Public Option’ Means Independent Scrutiny of Medical Research
July 6th, 2010, No Comments
A recent editorial in the New York Times tallied up statistics from more than 225,000 elderly diabetics taking Avandia or anther drug called Actos. These statistics were available to the public, courtesy of Medicare insurance being available to these patients. It appears to confirm the findings of another study that Avandia patients have a significantly [...]
If Corporations Can Engage in Electioneering, They Ought to be Able to Vote!
January 26th, 2010, No Comments
It’s happened again. Not to be outdone by the Supreme Court judges of 1886 who first pronounced corporations as possessing the same privileges as citizens with regard to property rights, the current crop of judges have now confirmed our paper citizens can meddle in the election process. This decision is brilliantly reviewed in this excellent [...]
Media Coverage of Smoking Bans – Some Stories Don’t Have “Two” Sides
January 3rd, 2010, No Comments
This New Years saw yet another revival of the ‘personal liberties’ debate about exposure to second-hand smoke in this NY Times article, “Blowing Smoke at a Ban” by Douglas Quenqua. Once again we have an article showcasing the derision of the public for these bans in the absence of citations of data regarding why these [...]
The Health Care Debate in the Times or “Live from New York – It’s Saturday Night!”
December 20th, 2009, No Comments
How does one debate the subject of life and death? Really, what are we pretending is happening here? Either access to medical care is a basic right of citizens in a civilized society or it’s a privilege restricted to middle and upper income level consumers (until such time as it’s withdrawn by those conferring the [...]
Remiss about Violence
October 11th, 2009, No Comments
Several recent articles and a blog have served as powerful reminders that governments cannot be discussed without reference to issues of male dominance and violence. These issues overshadow economic, political and cultural factors often cited as the reason why the intolerable should be accepted. Oppression can never be relegated to the level of a mere [...]
That’s Show-Biz! President Obama, Health Care and the Media
September 16th, 2009, No Comments
Last Sunday’s Op-Ed column by the usually engaging Frank Rich was typical of the disturbing transition of journalism into just another form of theater. Entitled Obama’s Squandered Summer (NYTimes, 9/12/09), it completely misses the lessons our learned President has been trying to teach his constituency during these past months. Call it Civics 101, in which [...]
