National globalism; protest!; executive orders; abortion obsession; hotel approval

National globalism

Where are the Republican free traders? The Democratic internationalists?

Where are the defenders of NAFTA? The negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership who thought it a good idea?

Where are the financiers, the industrialists, the farmers and the workers whose livelihoods depend on free trade?

It is time for those who believe nationalism can productively coexist with globalism to speak up.

It is time to take a deep breath and think. Do Americans really want a centrally controlled, gray job, “America First” economy?

Look how well that worked for the Soviet Union.

Protest!

If Trump ever releases his tax returns, it will probably show he borrows money from banks to purchase businesses, buildings, etc.

Maybe he sucks out the cash and deposits it in an off-shore account.

After the business fails, having no operating capital, he declares bankruptcy and the bank is stuck with the loss.

Another point to ponder: 1-percenters buy stock options. When Trump tweets, options are sold and the rich profit.

Not to become active protesting in every way is to lie down like lemmings and be steamrolled.

Stand up! Protest!

Executive orders

Does anyone remember how terrible it was that Barack Obama was acting like a dictator by signing so many executive orders?

Do those same people have any concerns about Donald Trump signing so many executive orders in his first days in office?

Was it really a concern about the proper use of the office of the president, or was it just a matter of whose ox was getting gored?

Abortion obsession

The debate over abortion never seems to end.

We have to accept that some religious issues are not explicitly knowable, because biblical authors chose not to address them.

When exactly is a soul created to correspond with the existence of what we call a human being?

If a technician dumps a petri dish containing a dozen fertilized human eggs into the trash, are a dozen human souls being discarded also?

Anyone who answers these questions is just guessing.

But the answers are immaterial to those who truly believe in the Bible. Heaven does exist. Death is only a transition, not the “end.” Jehovah is a just and benevolent deity.

Abortion was designed into the human reproduction process and is a frequently and naturally occurring event.

People who worry about abortion would be better off if they focused their energies on learning and obeying the Ten Commandments.

Correcting one’s own behavior is a much more noble pursuit than trying to correct someone else’s.

Hotel approval

The Fort Worth City Council gave the Fairmount neighborhood a big raspberry, except for Councilman Jungus Jordan.

Fairmount’s residents put in thousands of man-years to turn the neighborhood around, only to have the city authorize a hotel without a traffic or storm water study.

This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 4:59 PM with the headline "National globalism; protest!; executive orders; abortion obsession; hotel approval."