The Rosen Report

Some quotes from Bertrand Russell, leading Neo-Malthusian of the 20th Century-- Bertrand Russell’s “Cure” for Overpopulation-- “At present the population of the world is increasing at about  58,000 per diem. War, so far, has had no very great effect  on this increase, which continued throughouteach of the  world wars… War, as I remarked a moment ago, has hitherto been disappointing in this respect, but perhaps bacteriological  war may prove more effective. If a Black Death could be spread throughout the world once in every generation survivors could procreate freely without making the world too full. There would be nothing in this to offend the consciences of the devout or to restrain the ambitions of nationalists. The state of affairs might be somewhat unpleasant, but what of that? Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people's.” Impact of Science on Society, 1952 Unwin, Chapter 7: Can a Scientific Society be Stable, pages 114–118 ...

(The following is a short answer/comment in response to a question raised in someone else's post, which I thought opened up an important larger question. The discussion was regarding the seeming deluge of recent events which are more earthshaking by the day, as to be almost overwhelming) None of these developments makes sense without context. We've gone through a kind of shift in the last 20 years which has made us vulnerable to the seemingly incomprehensible descent into extremes and contradictions. First was a "Twenty Years War" in the aftermath of 9-11, which was in many ways a religious war, declared not against a Nation or group of Nations but "radical Islam", now defined as our new enemy replacing the defunct Soviet Union. In addition to the human and economic toll this has taken, this has contributed to an explosion of Christian Fundamentalism and given outsized political power to religious leaders.  Second, we have gone through a cultural change driv...

  The Washington Post has published an Op-Ed by three retired Generals which point to the scenario for an outbreak of Civil War in the United States in 2024. Since WAPO is a pay site, here is the link to sister publication Newsweek's coverage.  https://www.newsweek.com/army-generals-insurrection-civil-war-2024-donald-trump-january-6-1660842 This is not the kind of news people enjoy hearing as we head into the holidays. Myself, I don't much care about holidays, except for a general sentiment of wanting people to be happy and enjoy spending time with their friends and family. Otherwise I have no compunction about writing on issues that people don't want to think about, so here it is.  This is a very credible threat assessment coming from three leading retired US Generals, warning that the Trump apparatus is capable of launching actual Civil War in 2024, should there be a contested election.  They specifically warn of a scenario in which the military itself would have d...

Before Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauen Boebert, there was Sarah Palin. A vacuous Right Wing Christian fundamentalist airhead and "gun nut" with a serious case of advanced Penis Envy, also known as "Elmer Fudd Syndrome".   Yes, old Sarah is back, the slightly fascist "Gadfly That's Come In From The Cold", and has weighed in on the Pandemic, announcing that she'll get vaccinated for covid "over my dead body" in front of an audience of aspiring ventilator consumers yesterday. She is not the first person to make this announcement, as you have been reading in the Obits over the last year. Given her extensive background in global strategic policy ("I can see Russia from my house" she said. She will likely be up for US Ambassador to the Kremlin under the next GOP President) and impressive credentials in various scientific fields (like hunting and shooting animals from a helicopter) she is now obviously considered to be a highly qualif...

  (U.S. Cardinal Sean O'Malley, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, is pictured taking part in a safe environment congress held online and onsite in Rome Nov. 4, 2021. (CNS screenshot/SAFE project) This news story in the liberal Catholic News service, "National Catholic Reporter"  will get virtually no coverage elsewhere, but it is strategically significant. It is the first of hopefully many counter attacks by high level allies of Pope Francis to reign in the insurrection of the American extreme Right Wing of the Church, as typified by Catholic Media giant EWTN, and its Board member Bishop Jose Gomez. (leading figure in US Bishop's Conference deploying against both Pope Francis and President Biden)  The fact that Cardinal O'Malley is making this intervention is also significant, insofar as the  Boston Diocese of which he is the head is historically both a Catholic and a political power center for the US,, which has tended for more ...

  I think that considering the damage which Senator Joe "Munchkin" in is doing to the Nation, the administration, the Democratic Party, the People, and the future of our Democracy, we might dispense with the misnomer "moderate"  to describe him going forward. Unless we are clarifying the term thusly, such as moderately corrupt, moderately egotistical, moderately greedy, moderately indifferent to poverty, moderately power hungry, moderately a corporate shill, and moderately preoccupied with enriching his family at the expense of our environment. Yes, in that sense moderate.  Manchin is like the guy on the Titanic arguing we should only use half the lifeboats because it will be too costly to replace them for future voyages. He is ideologically blind and uneducated on the fundamentals of economic development. But the worst part is that his obstructionism is so watering down the administration's program that it is having two immediately destructive effects. It is de...

Since I follow Vatican affairs closely as part of my overall research, this story from Vatican News (linked at the bottom of this page) popped up in my Google News feed this morning. Sometimes I'll step back to reflect on things which seem like marginal events, but in the large actually mean everything, in addition to hitting home on a personal level. This short news item reporting on Pope Francis' visit to the Franciscans of Assisi Children's disability care program (Seraphic Institute) was one such example..  In the Jewish Tradition, what Pope Francis is celebrating is called "doing a Mitzvah". Martha and I were Caregivers for a number of years, which for us, translates to "givers of care". The distinction seems slight but represents a whole universe of difference.  Pope Francis is so very, very right. The giving of care to the disabled and the ill is actually an exchange of gifts. I always felt as though I was receiving something profound in return th...