I am strongly issue oriented and the Jefferson County Democrats (JCD) platform, which I helped write, addresses many of the issues I am passionate about. My position statement is here.
This blog/website is intended for you to get to know me. I have been a strong supporter of Bernie Sanders and most of his positions. I was secondarily, a strong supporter of Elizabeth Warren and her positions.
I was one of the many authors of the current Jefferson County Democratic Party Platform which I strongly support. The most important details of this document are buried in the text under headings entitled “We believe” and “We Call For”. The full document can be viewed here. I consider myself, like Bernie, to be a Democratic Socialist, with the emphasis on “democratic”. I support our current socialist institutions; the US mail system (USPS), the public highway system, public utilities, public transportation, public hospitals, public schools, public libraries etc. I also support the expansion of the socialism in the USA to single-payer-medicare-for-all, public ownership of the internet backbone, the nationalization of the fossil fuel industry and non replaceable resource extraction and all resource extraction on public lands, and many other areas where public ownership is more likely to prevent capitalistic monopolistic practices from crashing the ecology and the support systems that allow our species (and others) to survive. Democratic Socialists believe in a mixed economy where large industries are prevented from becoming monopolistic or are nationalized and where small independent businesses such as grocery stores, coops, restaurants, movie theaters, family farms, family owned fisheries, arts and crafts stores, coffee houses, galleries, local construction companies, boat builders, independent doctors, accountants and lawyers, bookstores etc. are encouraged and supported. Today, with the Democratic party leaning far to the right, Democratic Socialism is aligned with the economic ideals and goals of the old centrist FDR era Democratic Party. Democratic Socialist believe in science. Democratic Socialist believe that Black Lives Matter.
I get the majority of current news from the web. We also subscribe to the leader a few magazines and I read periodicals in public places. We do not have a T.V. Much of my political philosophy and beliefs also comes from books. Most recently I have been reading “The Shock Doctrine – The Rise of Disaster Capitalism” by Naomi Klein. This book has a lot to say about the current covid-19 crises and how we respond to it. Here is a list of some of my bookmarks (In no particular order) from which I get news on the web. This is not complete. I occasionally browse conservative and mainstream news sites in order to understand the propaganda system and current conservative thought.
- In 2016 I supported Bernie, but when he lost the primary, I voted for Hillary.
- I am a strong believer in freedom of religion. You can believe whatever you want and practice whatever you choose. I have some doubts about giving tax breaks to religious institutions. I used to tell people I was a Gödelian agnostic, but now I go for atheist. I choose to be a strong supporter of Love, Compassion and Charity which makes for a better world for all.
- I am an accomplished English system concertina player and a competent dabbler on piano, guitar and percussion.
- I have background, training and work history in Computer Science and Math which I still practice and teach, but I am mainly retired.
- I have only been arrested once for climbing over the fence at Bangor protesting the trident nuclear system.
You can contact me on my contact-me page. I will try to post most letters on my blog. If you have a question you would like me to answer privately, please note so in your email, otherwise your question and my answer might be posted on my political blog.
I intend to keep this political site up for a while.
Best regards to all of you.
Otto
Page last reviewed: 21 January, 2021