On the eve of its planned war against the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, the United States -- led by President Bush -- is once again hesitating. Why? Because Russia, France and Germany have declared that they won't like us and will call us mean if we attack the...
Dr Michael Hurd
Dr. Michael Hurd is a psychotherapist, columnist and author of "Bad Therapy, Good Therapy (And How to Tell the Difference)" and "Grow Up America!" Visit his website at: www.DrHurd.com.
Grotesque Cynicism on the Draft
Charles Rangel, a Congressman strongly opposed to the war against Iraq, is introducing legislation to bring back the draft. How can this be? Ultraliberal congressmen like Rangel quite openly loathe the military, just like our former President Clinton once admitted....
The Republicans Inconsistency
New Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist wants to promote Medical Savings Accounts as health care reform. Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) allow individuals to set aside money tax-free and roll it over every year to pay everyday medical expenses. The accounts are then...
Hillary Clinton’s Intellectual Bankruptcy
After learning that the Republicans were dumping Trent Lott as Majority Leader in the Senate, Hillary Clinton commented, "What [Lott] did was state publicly what many of them [i.e. Republicans] have stated privately over many years in the back roads and back streets...
Piss off the Terrorists and their Allies: Privatize the World Trade Center
Jack Smith of Monticello, Minnesota, wrote in the following to a Wall Street Journal columnist regarding the site of the World Trade Center, expressing his disagreement with the idea of rebuilding it: This is Gettysburg, the Alamo, the Arizona Memorial. Sorry,...
William F. Buckley is all Liberal Inside
William F. Buckley Jr., in the 12/12/02 "Wall Street Journal" writes: "Conservatives (unlike anarchists, or Objectivists) know that sacrifices are necessary, even as diet is necessary for organic health." Specifically, he refers to the example of a peace through...
Thanks a Lott
Of course it was an idiotic thing to say. And of course Senator Lott's remarks have been taken out of context. Neither of these opposing viewpoints refer to the real issue. The real issue is power. Democrats who now condemn Senator Lott for his apparent racism have...
The Foreign Policy of Doing Business With Criminals
Eight years ago, a particularly stupid U.S. Administration at a particularly stupid juncture in American history offered Communist North Korea a deal: if you don't develop nuclear weapons, we'll give you free American oil -- at U.S. taxpayer expense. Even hard-right...
The Republican Daddy State
Government-financed terrorism insurance? Republicans hope it will 'stimulate' the economy. It just might, short-term -- but at the expense of making individuals ever-more dependent on government handouts; and at the expense of reinforcing the false notion that...
Tax Holidays
You know that when politicians start talking "tax holidays" and "temporary tax cuts" that something's amiss. For years, conservatives have argued that tax cuts (especially across- the-board tax cuts which lower the marginal rate and the capital gains rate) are good...
Give Thanks To…
Most are thankful to God. I am thankful to man -- specifically, to those individuals who (over the centuries) have created the countless things I need for survival and enjoyment: automobiles, plumbing, mass produced food, medicine, electricity, computers, televisions...
Government Mandated Benevolence
Q: I agree with you that there's too much emphasis on self-sacrifice in today's world. At the same time, people are often harsh and cruel to each other in everyday life. I don't just mean terrorists and snipers; I also refer to people who don't even do simple things...
North Korea Building Nuclear Bombs? Perish the Thought
Our leaders express incredible shock that North Korea is building nuclear bombs. This emotion of shock betrays the reasons why we have the whole problem with terrorism in the first place. We are victims of terrorism because too many of us -- and all of our leaders --...
Senator Paul Wellstone: A Soul in Need of Overhaul
"He represented the regular people. He didn't represent the high and the mighty." So says a Minnesota resident while mourning the death of Senator Paul Wellstone. It's an interesting distinction: regular versus mighty. "Regular" implies honest, forthright and good....
Appealing to Reason in Killers
Police in Montgomery County, Maryland (where I work), and the Washington D.C. area are searching for two gunmen who are currently on a rampage against people going about their daily business. People filling their cars with gas; waiting for a bus; crossing the street;...
Depression and Learned Helplessness
Depression has been defined as a persistent feeling of learned helplessness. For those who are depressed, this raises the questions: what do you feel helpless about, and why? What needs to change in order for you to feel less helpless? One area to work on is your...
Does waging war on a tyrant make one a tyrant?
Agitated reader: I just can't stomach your narrow minded opinions anymore. What gives the United States moral authority to wage a war against not just a tyrant, but innocent people? Dr. Hurd: What exactly would broad minded opinions consist of? Treating the government...
Q & A on Going to war with Iraq
A reader from a major news network writes in: Reader: Going to war with Iraq is so stupid for so many reasons that I can't take the time to address them all. Needless to say, there is NO evidence of weapons of mass destruction. Dr. Hurd: So it doesn't count that...
The Purpose of the Draft is Not a Strong Military
Senior military officers are opposing bringing back the military draft. They point out that today's military is so high-tech and complex that an all-volunteer, trained force is superior. For years, in fact, many military leaders have observed that motivated recruits...
It Could Be Worse
Q: Dr. Hurd, I sometimes fight feeling low by telling myself, "It could be worse." Then I proceed to name examples of how it could be worse. Is this healthy -- or am I putting neurotic guilt on myself? A: It all depends on the context in which you say it. If you say...
Diplomacy does not apply toward Dictators
"The imminence of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the huge dangers it involves, the rejection of a viable inspection system, and the demonstrated hostility of Saddam Hussein combine to produce an imperative for pre-emptive action," Vice President Cheney...
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