Monthly Archives: December 2024

For Kurt (or The Benefits of A Sunsick Ride)

And so it goes,
the tender edge of morning,
where light brushes grasses,
blades trembling as if
they remember night.

The heron lifts from reeds,
a single, deliberate motion
that breaks stillness
but leaves silence intact.

How delicate it is,
this rhythm of breath and wing,
the hush before the hawk’s dive,
the shimmer of water
before it disappears into the air.

Life balances here,
on this scalpel edge
of beauty and oblivion,
fragile as a spider’s thread
strung between within v(e)ines,
strong enough to hold the dew.

And so it goes,
the brief, feral grace of living,
each moment a presence
so light we barely feel its weight,
so immense
we are forever undone.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Two-Party Failure


Nepotism is not governance, yet here we are, caught between family fiefdoms masquerading as leadership.

Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter is a gut punch to the idea of equal justice under the law. It reeks of elite privilege, where political dynasties protect their own while the rest of us are told to trust the system. A president shielding his son from consequences is not compassion—it’s corruption, plain and simple.

Then there’s Donald Trump, who never misses an opportunity to turn government into a family business. Appointing Charles Kushner, Ivanka’s father-in-law, as ambassador to France is bad enough. But adding Massad Boulos, Tiffany’s father-in-law, as a senior adviser on Middle Eastern affairs? That’s next-level arrogance. These aren’t just bad optics—they’re an insult to the very concept of public service.

These moves by Biden and Trump are two sides of the same rotted coin. One shields his son, the other promotes his daughters’ in-laws, but both use their positions to advance their personal networks.

The message is clear: the rules are for you, not for them. This is not leadership. This is dynastic rule.

And we keep letting it happen. We rage for a moment, shout into the void, and then resign ourselves to the inevitability of it all. Because what’s the alternative? The other guy? Biden’s defenders cry foul over Hunter’s legal troubles, insisting he was unfairly targeted. Trump’s camp insists nepotism is fine because “he trusts family.”

Both sides are wrong. Both sides are corrupt. And both parties are laughing at us as they entrench their power.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We don’t have to live in a country where every election boils down to choosing which self-serving dynasty we’re willing to endure for the next four years. We don’t have to keep settling for a system designed to serve the powerful, not the people.

The two-party system has failed. It thrives on division and power hoarding, offering no real alternatives. Biden’s pardon and Trump’s nepotism are just symptoms of the disease. The cure isn’t reforming these parties—it’s replacing them. We need a third party, a centrist coalition focused on competence, ethics, and evidence-based solutions. We need leaders who put the public good above personal loyalty.

Enter Evidentialism, the centrist-left political party. It’s a faith, yes, but it’s also a philosophy that demands accountability. It celebrates reason, science, and the pursuit of truth. It rejects the cult of personality in favor of facts and transparency.

In politics, this means policies rooted in data, not ideology. It means rejecting the nepotism and backroom deals that have brought us to this moment.

Imagine a political movement where decisions are guided by what works, not what polls well. Where climate policy is informed by scientists, not donors. Where healthcare reform addresses the root causes of inequality instead of catering to the loudest lobbyists. This isn’t a dream—it’s a necessity.

Biden’s pardon and Trump’s shameless nepotism are proof of one thing: the system isn’t working for us.

It’s time to break the cycle. No more families in power. No more excuses. Faith in facts, accountability, and the possibility of something better—that’s the future we should be fighting for.