Legacy of colonialism Colonialism was untenable. However, the British introduced a few customs that are still heartily observed throughout their former colonies in the Caribbean. Civil service, public education, and public holidays figure most prominently in this respect. Their beneficial impact is something I can vouch for personally. But today, I’m paying homage to one of the holidays the British introduced. … Read more.
holidays
Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2024
International Women’s Day: Women Are the Answer for the World Today
Today, International Women’s Day, I’m reiterating my longstanding assertion that women need to replace men as leaders in every public sphere, from the Oval Office to the C-suite. Men should be barred from politics The titles of three previous commentaries on this topic speak volumes: “Cracking the Political Glass Ceiling: Bachelet Becomes First Woman President in South America”… Read more.
Observing Presidents’ Day
Presidents’ Day: it’s about the sales, man Alas, “Presidents’ Day” has become just another jingoistic way to induce Americans to shop for cars and mattresses. And this is one distortion or, in this case, commercialization of history that has nothing to do with race matters. Instead, this one stems from TV commercials now heralding and defining this… Read more.
Trump’s Grifting Valentine to Melania
Love in the time of fundraising Or Trump is just a grifter grifting as grifters grift. Because, even on Valentine’s Day, Trump thinks only suckers are into flowers blooming and hearts fluttering. Former President Trump wished former first lady Melania Trump a Happy Valentine’s Day on Wednesday by thanking her for her support throughout his various criminal cases.… Read more.
Australia Day, Like Columbus Day, Should Be Abolished
Australia Day Australia Day marks the 1788 landing of White settlers who colonized the Continent. But White Australians are finally reckoning with the historical fact that their ancestors did not discover Australia. Of course, White Americans have been facing a similar reckoning for decades. But it’s stupefying that it took Whites in America and Australia so long to recognize that their… Read more.
Happy Kwanzaa!
Black pride Many Black Americans insist on calling themselves African Americans. Yet, many know little about their American heritage, and even less about African ancestry. That might be because “Black pride” is about as ethereal and subjective as religious faith. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us the objective value of judging people not by the color of their skin… Read more.
Happy Boxing Day!
Boxing Day: a Christmas hangover Today is Boxing Day. It’s a Christmas hangover holiday, which the countries of the British Commonwealth observe on December 26. However, like most British (‘bank’) holidays, it has no modern significance. It merely provides lazy Englishmen (and the people they ‘colonized’) a pretext for another day off from work. The historical hijinks of Boxing… Read more.
Happy Christmas!
Happy Festivus
Seinfeld’s famous Festivus Playwrights have long used jesters to spotlight the folly in prevailing thoughts and customs. And they were doing so long before William Shakespeare patented this literary device. However, Jerry Seinfeld might be the first jester to employ this device. He did so by making “Festivus for the rest of us” the theme of… Read more.