Nick Gier

I always enjoyed lecturing about the libertarians when I taught political philosophy. They style themselves as serious thinkers; and, calling themselves the “Party of Principle,” they choose theoretical consistency over political expediency. In 1972 presidential election philosopher John Hospers garnered…

Author’s note: Two weeks ago I checked Trump’s convention speech, so it is only fair that I now look at statements from the Democrats. According to a Gallup poll, the 2106 Republican Convention set a record. Reporting the lowest level…

After being honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps in 1945, my dear friend Howard Riggs held various construction management positions and worked abroad in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Peru. In 2007 he moved to Spokane to be close to…

Trump’s acceptance speech at the GOP convention was filled with lies and misrepresentations.  Yes, it is true that “43 million Americans are on food stamps,” but the number rose because of the Great Recession not because of Obama.  Obama’s economic…

After seven long years of investigation, a British commission led by Sir John Chilcot has issued its findings on the British participation in the Iraq War. The report, 2.6 million words in 12 volumes, concludes that plans were “seriously flawed”…

Last December President Obama praised sports heroes who are Muslims. A clueless Donald Trump tweeted: “What sport is he talking about, and who?” Trump must have forgotten about his friend Muhammad Ali, whom Trump once called a “terrific guy” and…

The GOP House Select Committee on Benghazi has interviewed 100 witnesses, spent $7 million of its own funds, and has forced other agencies to spend an additional $13 million. The Defense Department is at its wit’s end and is rightly…

Siddharta Gautama the Buddha was born in Southern Nepal in 563 or 480 BC, depending which scholar one chooses. Buddhists around the world celebrate his birthday in the months of April or May. So Happy Birthday, Buddha! Both Jesus and…

The “Panama Papers,” millions of documents released by a German newspaper, has uncovered major international financial misdealing. The papers were leaked from Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm, which has set up dozens of offshore tax havens. The first casualty…

As we celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s 273rd birthday next week, we need to be reminded about what a controversial figure he was.  In the election of 1800 he was called “that atheist and leveler from Virginia.” Alexander Hamilton was so committed…