Healthcare, education, taxes, immigration, welfare, the environment, public safety national security… the list of topics that fall under the political sphere is endless. Chances are, government has something to say about every aspect of your life. And the decisions that local and national leaders make have a significant impact not just on you, but on the nation as a whole. All this is to say, it makes sense to care about the debate surrounding numerous issues.
Now, depending on a host of circumstances, where you live, what your income bracket is, how far you are from retirement (etc.), Some issues will have a greater impact on your life than others, and will therefore be more important. A husband and parent of five young children, cares more about how families are taxed than an 18 year old preparing for college. This might be a selfish approach to politics. But it’s natural, as well as necessary, to ensure that your needs are met prior to fulfilling the needs of others. * Suppose though, that one issue bears tremendous importance in your life. So much so that it overshadows all other subjects under the jurisdiction of government. The opinions you have on all politicians, and the votes you cast are all decided (more or less) exclusively based on this single issue. Not only is this approach to political issues often frowned upon, but if you do it, chances are you'll be disregarded as a “one-issue voter.” There’s more to it that just one issue, people say. No one problem is heavy enough to tip the scales against all other issues combined. It’s politically and morally naïve to think one thing could be so important. Is this really the case, though? Is it objectively, or even circumstantially wrong to allow just one stance to be the basis for an entire political philosophy? Instinctively, you could say no. Of course there are too many issues to get caught up on just one. Let’s pretend for a moment that political issues are baseball cards. Johnny and Bill both collect baseball cards, and they meet up sometimes to trade. Johnny has several cards that he likes, and Bill wants them. Bill on the other hand, has only one card that Johnny wants. But it so happens that Johnny wants it more badly than all the cards that Bill wants, combined. Johnny knows that Bill wants his cards, so he offers them all to him, in exchange for that one special card in Bill’s possession. Bill says no. He wants Johnny’s cards, but he doesn’t think he should have to give up his one card in order to get them. Johnny’s the one-issue voter, in case you hadn’t noticed. Other issues are important to him, but not when compared to the one he cares about most. Bill, on the other hand, may not even think the one issue is as important as Johnny thinks it is. He can’t make the trade though. He's unwilling to compromise. Bill thinks he’s right, and it therefore makes no sense to him that he should have to make a deal in the first place. In a sense, Bill’s a one-issue voter, too. Because, just like Johnny, he’s allowing one thing to keep him from all the rest. This does not illustrate how one-issue voting it bad, per se. But it does show how those who denounce others as focusing on a single problem may be guilty of the very same thing. Defending one territory at the expense of many others gives de facto primacy to the one above the many. Culpability (or credit) for allowing the countryside to be won in the battle for the city belongs to both parties. It takes two to tango. Now, let’s get away from analogies, and into real-world examples. In the mid-nineteenth century, the United States of America was literally divided in two over the issue of slavery. Many people truly believed slavery was wrong, many truly believed it was right and just, and some chose a side in order to achieve ulterior motives. But everyone took a side. The entire country was swallowed up into the question of slavery; that single issue dominated society and politics to the point of war. And yet, it was necessary for voters to care so deeply about the question of slavery for the issue to find resolution (if only through war). Who would reprimand a voter in mid-nineteenth century USA for allowing slavery to outweigh all other political issues? It did outweigh them. Slavery was such an injustice, such an evil, that to consider any combination of issues at the time adding up to a comparable level of importance would be, in effect, to willfully perpetuate the status quo. No stance was tantamount to standing with the opposition. Slavery not only begged the voters’ attention, it demanded their action. One-issue voting is not only permissible, but sometimes necessary. There are times when a situation is so dire, so tragic, that exclusive attention and immediate action are imperative. And accusing someone of being a one-issue voter is not as damning as it seems. If it were, then compromise might be an option to the accuser. It’s merely a tactic used by people who won’t compromise to slowly tilt the balance of power and control more in their favor. Whether one issue merits the neglect of others is most times at the discretion of the voters’ judgement. All other times it is at the discretion of the issue itself. *Needs as opposed to wants. We have a moral obligation to ensure that our own needs are met, or else we cannot properly see to the needs of others. And even with that being said, spouses and children represent a sort of exception to that rule.
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The 2019 season has come and it has gone. Just like every year, it felt too short. Eight teams made it to the postseason in 2019. Some are likely to make a return next year, and some probably will not. Here are predictions as to what 2020 has in store for the Athletics, Rays, Brewers, Nationals, Twins, Cardinals, Braves, Yankees, Dodgers, and Astros.
Athletics The perpetually underrated team. Few people ever expect the Athletics to compete, and yet they do. Billy Beane is the master of creating rosters that don't appear like much, then go out and put up W's. The A's don't rely on star power, they get wins in the aggregate. Never count out the Oakland Athletics. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 75% Rays Was Chris Archer the best thing that ever happened to Tampa Bay? Definitely not. But trading him might have been. Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows were stars in 2019, and it's reasonable to expect similar performances in 2020. With a little health, the Rays might not only be good next year, they could be better. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 85% Brewers Mike Moustakas and Yasmani Grandal are likely departing via free agency this winter. Both were key contributors to a team that did not live up to expectations and only made the playoffs after an obscene month of September. There are a lot of ifs that could help make the 2020 season a successful one for Milwaukee. A rebound from Jimmy Nelson, continued development of Keston Huira and Trent Grisham, and young arms like Corbin Burnes realizing their potential are just a few examples. To make a long story short though, the path to the postseason will be a tough one for this ball club. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 30% Nationals The 19-31 record the Nationals began the season with was not them. One look at the roster should be enough to see that Washington is good enough to beat anybody, which they proved this postseason. It's not amazing that the Nationals came back from a poor start. It's not even amazing that they won the World Series the season after losing a super duper star in Bryce Harper. The truly amazing thing is that the Washington Nationals have been so good for so long and have only now found postseason success. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 95% Twins The Twins. Oh the Minnesota Twins. What are we gonna do with you... One year they're great, the next they struggle, then they're good again, then they're excellent. Writers called the 2019 Twins one of the weakest 100-win teams they could remember. It's a fair assessment. In a division where the Indians may have made the playoffs if they had kept Michael Brantley, and the White Sox are stacked with young talent, the Twins have plenty of competition headed their way in 2020. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 55% Cardinals Otherwise known as the Yankees of the National League (to me, anyways). The Cardinals find a way. And it looks like they've got a rising ace in Jack Flaherty. St. Louis has some questions, though. How will Paul Goldschmidt age? Can Matt Carpenter and Andrew Miller perform better? What will the rotation look like after Flaherty? That, coupled with a division that doesn't seem to be loosening up by a long shot, makes things difficult for St. Louis. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 45% Braves It's fortunate for the baseball world that the Braves didn't go farther this year, because their future looks almost as bright as anyone's. Outside of making a bad impression on the postseason stage, Ronald Acuna appears primed to take his place as one of the premier stars in Major League Baseball. With a supporting cast featuring the likes of Freddy Freeman, Ozzie Albies, Mike Soroka, Max Fried and others, the Atlanta Braves don't appear to be going anywhere. Other than to the playoffs, that is. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 85% Yankees How did the Yankees win 103 games with all those injuries? Even more interesting, how do that many players (over 25) even sustain injuries throughout the course of a season? The Yankees have to be healthier in 2020, how could they not? And if indeed they'er healthier, how could they be worse? The bigger obstacle to the Yankees' success next season is the Rays, Red Sox and Blue Jays, all of whom look ready to compete. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 65% Dodgers This team is the enigma of the 21st century. How can an organization with such an effective front office, such a flexible payroll, such a constant stream of talent coming up from the minors and perpetual trips to the playoffs still be without a championship in the last 31 years? Don't expect them to regress next year, though. Gavin Lux and Walker Buehler are ready to pick up the the standard and carry the Dodgers into the 2020s. The Padres may put up a fight in the west, but the Giants, Rockies and Diamondbacks all have work to do before catching LA. Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 80% Astros Man, this is a team. In spite of a tough loss to the Nationals in the World Series, Houston is probably the most complete team in baseball. As with every team. there'll be some free agent departures - most notably the possible exit of Gerrit Cole. Nonetheless, with a stacked lineup, a solid defense and a rotation that'll feature Justin Verlander and Zack Grienke, the Astros will compete next year. The bigger question, is what will the Mariners, Rangers, Athletics and especially the Angels do to compete with them? Likelihood to return to the playoffs: 75% . Image: Vonya Ronin, Flickr What's your favorite movie? What are your top five favorite movies? Top ten?
It's relatively easy to come up with a short list of movies. These are the films that resonate with us. We come back to them again and again for their humor, their romance, their intensity. A person's list of their five favorite films describes not only what they like to watch, but what they like to watch repeatedly. But what about something a little more expansive? What about a little more challenging of a list like, say, top 50 favorite movies? We've all seen dozens if not hundreds of films. But do 50 of them make enough of an impact that we remember them, and would even consider them favorites? That's the trick of 50. What follows is a list of my 50 favorite movies, as well as a (slightly more) objective rating as to the actual quality of the film. Comments with regards to my list are welcome. 50. Gone With The Wind - 4/5 49. The Usual Suspects - 4/5 48. Ben-hur - 4.5/5 47. Darby O'Gill and the Little People - 3.5/5 46. To Kill a Mockingbird - 4/5 45. Inception - 4.5/5 44. Wayne's World - 3/5 43. The Grand Budapest Hotel - 3.5/5 42. Some Like it Hot - 2.5/5 41. Rocky IV - 2.5/5 40. Help! - 2.5/5 39. Scarface - 4/5 38. Arsenic and Old Lace - 4/5 37. Megamind - 3/5 36. Moneyball - 3.5/5 35. It's a Wonderful Life - 4/5 34. Rocky - 4/5 33. The Great Escape - 4/5 32. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - 4/5 31. The Dark Knight - 4/5 30. Good Will Hunting - 4.5/5 29. Back to the Future - 5/5 28. Captain's Courageous - 4.5/5 27. Cinderella Man - 5/5 26. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - 3.5/5 25. The Godfather - 4/5 24. Oceans 11 - 3/5 23. 2001: A Space Odyssey - 4/5 22. The Court Jester - 3/5 21. Star Wars: A New Hope - 3.5/5 20. Major League - 2.5/5 19. Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - 3/5 18. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 4.5/5 17. The Godfather Part II - 4.5/5 16. The Prestige - 4/5 15. Singing in the Rain - 5/5 14. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - 4.5/5 13. Monty Python and the Holy Grail - 4/5 12. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - 3/5 11. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 2.5/5 10. This is Spinal Tap - 2.5/5 9. The Goonies - 3/5 8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - 4.5/5 7. The Revenant - 4/5 6. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery - 2.5/5 5. Memento - 4.5/5 4. The Shawshank Redemption - 5/5 3. The Legend of 1900 - 4/5 2. Stalag 17 - 4.5/5 1. Interstellar - 5/5 Image: Flickr, Cjaegel |
Nick MartinMy name is Nick Martin. I write sometimes. These are my thoughts. Archives
July 2021
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