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The Elitism of RFK Jr. and MAHA

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Recently I was discussing the looniness of RFK Jr. with my mother. At one point in the conversation, she said despite all his anti-scientific, anti-vaccine nonsense, there is one thing he is doing right. He is working to remove all the chemicals from food and encourage Americans to stop eating so much ultra-processed food.  The internet memes love to tell us, we shouldn't shun the man's message because we don't like him personally. He's doing us some good, isn't he? I have to disagree. His message is all wrong. His mission will fail. It is elitist and completely ignores the needs of lower-income Americans. " But Rachel ," you protest. " You are being hypocritical.  You are the one who shops at the farmers' market first when she food shops. You are the one who insists on eating mostly home-cooked meals and brown bags her lunches. You are an 'ingredient household.'  You are his target audience. " Yes. I do all that. I admit it. I priori...
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Going To Hell for Looking Pretty (or Wanting to)?

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In the movie The Devil's Advocate , hotshot lawyer Keanu Reeves is so obsessed with the kudos and attention her receives for being undefeated in the courtroom, he destroys his own life, the lives of everyone close to him, and lives of many people involved in his trials. Even at the end of the film, when he goes to extreme lengths to redeem himself, he can't resist the lure of more self-glorification. The movie ends with Al Pacino, Satan in disguise, smiling evilly and declaring, "Vanity...definitely my favorite sin." According to the Catholic church, vanity is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. This makes some sense. The kind of self-glorification I described in the example above can be destructive both to the sinner and the  people in his circle. This selfishness that excludes of the needs of others ranks right up there with envy, greed, and gluttony as something that has the potential to destroy society from the inside out. My exploration of vanity today isn't about ...
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A Pyrrhic Victory?

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During the election season of 2024, when Project 2025 was beginning to receive public notice in the country, Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, and a Project 2025 architect, gave an interview. When asked why the country was uneasy about Project 2025 he said, "It's because we're winning." I suppose he wasn't wrong. The Heritage Foundation and other organizations like it managed to put their man in office. It's a dream come true for them. They have a man with a deep lust for power, recognition and fame and charisma that appeals to Americans who don't think critically, but also has little talent for governing. They can use him do their bidding and sell their ideas to the public. By the time Americans fully catch on to what's happening, it will be too late. What kind of victory is this? What have they "won" exactly? I wrote about this last year . A so-called "divided" country agrees on more issues than we disagree with...
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2024 Recap (Including The Box)

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2025 is here without flying cars and meals in pill form, and with much fear and existential dread regarding the future of the United States. It's the time of the year where we try to make a plan for the coming year, hoping to improve on the things we didn't do well last year, while also looking back on the old year to reassure ourselves we didn't do as badly as we think we did. 2024 was an interesting year for me. I ended 2023 in a whirl of activity, then 2024 arrived as an enormous, cold, gray ball of nothingness. I looked to the months ahead with dread as it seemed I had little to look forward to. There were no plays, special vacations, or fun outings in the works. I was looking at a dull and dreadful winter. It hit me hard. I was miserable. Then I was even more miserable because I knew I had so much to be grateful for. I have the good fortune to have good health, a strong marriage, a loving family, a steady job, and a roof over my head. Why should I sit around crying ove...
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