Ernest Partridge's Internet Publications

(Normally published at several websites)

Visitors are invited, in fact URGED, to copy and distribute these essays at will. I ask only that you acknowledge the author (Ernest Partridge) and source (www.igc.org/gadfly), and include the notice: "Copyright [year of publication] by Ernest Partridge."

Use of copyrighted material that generates income will require both permission of this author and a royalty fee.

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In the decade from March, 1998 (when I launched this website) through 2010, I wrote and published 250 original essays for the internet.  Many of these essays dealt with timely and newsworthy issues that have since faded from public memory and relevance.  I have excluded many those essays from this list, retaining a few that continue to have some historical interest.  The complete list of internet essays can be found at the chronological listing at the bottom of this page.

Internet Essays Listed by Topic

(Chronological Order Follows Below the Topics)
 

Editor's Choice

Science, Religion and Philosophy

"Do You Believe in God?" (April, 2006)
On the Morality of Science,  (May, 2007)
"That's Just Your Opinion"  (July, 2008)
Through a Glass, Darkly (November, 2005)
Is Science Just Another Dogma?  (July, 2002)  
Junk Psychology  (June, 2002)
"Creationism" and the Devolution of the Intellect   (January, 2005)  
 

Morality and the Law

Property Rights and Public Accommodations (July, 2010)
Morality as a Plus-Sum Game:  Why Libertarianism Fails as a Social Policy.  (April, 2010)
Evil as the Absence of Empathy   (July, 2008)
Prices and Values  (August, 2005)  
A Defense of Moral Relativism. (November, 2005)  
Good for Each, Bad for All.  (June, 2004)  
Consumer or Citizen?   (October, 2003)
The Paradoxical Right to Life  (January, 2003)
 On Patriotism   (February, 2003) 
 

Politics and Economics

(Drop 3-6 of these).

Ayn Rand's Excellent Proposal (March, 2010)
Why Liberals are Not Libertarians  (November, 2008)
On Behalf of the Tea Bag Brigades: A Proposal   (April, 2009)
"The Left"  (March, 2009)
Theory vs. Reality: Why Market Absolutism Fails (December, 2008)
The Great Regression -- And The Road Back   (March, 2008)
Market Failure: The Back of the Invisible Hand  (June, 2007) 
A Failed Experiment  (June, 2007)
Liberals and Libertarians  (May, 2007)
The Public Interest and the Limits of Volunteerism  (December, 2006)
The Scorpion, The Frog, and The Corporation (September, 2006)
Who Lost New Orleans?   (September, 2005)
Right vs. Left: The Elements   (March, 2005) 
"Shut Up!," They Explain.  (February, 2005)
Letter to a Republican Friend    (August, 2004)
Privatized Hell   (June, 2003)  
Conscience of a Conservative   (April, 2003)
 

Media

All The News that Fits the Bush Agenda  (August, 2006)
The Dragon at the Gate: The Media Problem  (January, 2003)
Nolo Contendere (May, 2010)

 

War, Peace Global Issues

Bungling Toward Oblivion: A Letter to my Friends in Russia. (July, 2014)
What About the Russians?  Personal Encounters   (June, 2006)
Swords Into Plowshares   (May, 2006)
The 9/11 Conspiracy: A Skeptic’s View   (April, 2006)
The View from Abroad: A Personal Reflection  (February, 2006)
Now We Are the Redcoats  (September, 2003)
 

Environment, Climate and Survival

How to Talk to a Climate Change Denier  (November, 2013)
Climate Reality Bites the Libertarians  (April 8, 2008)
Fruit Flies in a Bottle  (September, 2010)
The Road to Catastrophe   (October 14, 2008)
Last Chance for Civilization  (May, 2005)
The Oil Trap (August, 2002)
 

Culture, Society and History

Why Should I Pay for Someone Else's Education?  (April, 2005)
The Banalization of Genius  (April, 2000)
Touch Football and Television  (April, 2007) 
Where Are Our Heroes Today? ( (June, 2006)
Hinges of History   (July, 2005)
 

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Complete Listing

The Crisis

Fruit Flies in a Bottle  (September, 2010)
American, Inc. is Here: Get With the Program.  (January, 2010)
The Road to Catastrophe  (October 14, 2008)
A New Day Dawning   (June 3. 2008)
The Great Regression -- And The Road Back    (March 4, 2008)
The Gulag Comes to America: The Don Siegelman Case  (January 29, 2008)
TO: The Free World – FROM: The American People – RE: HELP! (October 23, 2007)
We've Seen All This Before.  (August, 2007)
Is the Public Finally Beginning to "Get It"? (May, 2007)
And Now What? (November, 2006)
Where Are Our Heroes Today? (June, 2006)
The 9/11 Conspiracy: A Skeptic’s View   (April 25, 2006)
Perception is Reality.  (February 21, 2006)
The Erosion of Trust  (January 10, 2006) 
Bird Flu is Real – and You’re On Your Own. (November, 2005)
The Illusion of Normality (October, 2005)
Hinges of History  (July, 2005)
Last Chance for Civilization  (May, 2005)
Something's Gotta Give   (January, 2005)
Do We Still Have a Democracy?  (November, 2004)
Symbionts and Parasites  (September, 2004)
The Vulnerable Giant  (February, 2003)
The Oil Trap (August, 2002)
The Late, Great, American Republic... (July, 2003)
Where are the Grownups?  (June, 2003)
Can an Entire Country Go Mad?  (April, 2003)
Blissful Ignorance (May, 2001)
Where's the Outrage?  (June, 2002)
Global Defense  (March, 2002)
 

Politics

 

 

Imperialism, Foreign Relations, The Iraq War

Bungling Toward Oblivion: A Letter to my Friends in Russia. (July, 2014)
The War Trap  (December, 2009)
OmiGawd, Not Another Cold War!  A Letter to My Friends in Russia (September, 2008)
Twenty-Twenty Hindsight, Blinded Foresight  (November, 2007)
Oh What a Lovely (Cold) War  (March, 2007)
Only Americans Can Restore America's Honor  (January, 2007)
O Canada!  (August, 2006)
What About the Russians?  Personal Encounters  (June, 2006)
Swords Into Plowshares  (May, 2006)
The View from Abroad: A Personal Reflection  (February, 2006)
The Indelible Evil of this War  (December, 2004)
Now We Are the Redcoats  (September, 2003)
Thoughts on the Eve of a Disaster  (March, 2003)
Forgive U.S. our Trespasses  (May, 2002)
Why Do They Hate Us So Much?  (November, 2001)
The Holy Land  (November, 2001)
Devouring the Seed Grain (August, 1999)
 

The Media

The Big Lie.  (April, 2011)
Nolo Contendere (May, 2010)
Pity the Poor Mainstream Media!  (May, 2008)
Kristolnicht: The Decline of The New York Times.  (January, 2008)
Snobocracy: When “The Right People” Run Washington  (December, 2006)
Mainstream Media to Bloggers: Bug Off  (January, 2007)
All The News that Fits the Bush Agenda  (August, 2006)
Pravda on the Potomac  (September, 2004))
The Dragon at the Gate: The Media Problem  (January, 2003)
Don't Give Up on the  Media  (January, 2004)
If it Burns, it Earns  (November, 2003)
After the Internet  (September, 2003)
About Those Polls  (March, 2002)
   (March, 2003)
The Press and Party Symbiosis  (November, 2002)
Post-Modern Politics (April, 2001)
The Hijacked Election (November, 2000)
 

The Elections

R. I. P. American Democracy  (October 26, 2012)
A Battle is Won, but the War Remains.  (January 6, 2009)
Election 2008: Who Decides?  The People or the Programmers?  (October, 2008)
"Country First?" -- The Question of Loyalty  (October 21, 2008)
The American People are Beginning To Get It.  (November, 2007)
Election Fraud: Where’s the Outrage?  (July, 2007)
Debunking the Debunker.  (June, 2006)
An Appearance of Guilt  (March, 2006)
“Evidence? We Don’t Want Your Stinkin’ Evidence!”  (January, 2006)
In 2006, Election Fraud is the Keystone Issue. (January, 2006)
"Shut Up!," They Explain.  (February, 2005)
Has the Case for Election Fraud been Refuted?  (January, 2005) 
The Democrats as "The Washington Generals"  (December, 2004)
Why we must not "Get Over It"  (November, 2004) 
Do We Still Have a Democracy?  (November, 2004)
Defeating a "Touch-Screen" Theft of the Election.  (November, 2004)
The Greatest Story Never Told  (March, 2003)
Don't Just Get Mad, Get Smart  (April, 2002)
Taking Stock   (December, 2002)
The Hijacked Election (November, 2000)
About the 2000 Election  (Several Essays) (November 2000)

 

Barack Obama and the Obama Administration

Act Two: The Struggle Continues.  (December 2, 2008)
A Battle is Won, but the War Remains.  (January 6, 2009)
A Man for the Season.  (November 18)
 

George W. Bush and the Bush Administration

The Unraveling, At Last?  (December, 2007)
Impeachment: Winning by Losing.  (March, 2007)
Who Lost New Orleans?  (September, 2005) 
The Bombs in the Basement.   (August, 2005) 
The Fall of the House of Bush (June, 2005)
A Master Morality  (March, 2005)
Bush's "Gut" (October, 2004)
Henry and George  (June, 2004)
The cover-up that's worse than the crime (February, 2004) 
Despotism by Accident  (September 2002)
Reflections on "Black Tuesday" (9/11) (October, 2001)
 

Progressivism / Liberalism / Democrats

Stewart Lee Udall -- 1920-2010.  A Personal Memoir  (March 24, 2010)
"The Left"  (March 2009)
In a Financial Emergency, Who Do you Call?  The Democrats! (September, 2008)
Liberals and Libertarians  (May, 2007)
The Public Interest and the Limits of Volunteerism  (December, 2006)
Why Won't the Progressives Get Their Act Together?  (October, 2006)
The Democrats: Missing in Action  (March, 2006)
Right and Left: In a Nutshell.  (March, 2006) 
Randville, Rawlsburg, and New Orleans  (September, 2005)
Right vs. Left: The Elements  (March, 2005) 
The Language Trap  (February, 2005)
Good for Each, Bad for All (June, 2004) 
Strategies for Underdogs  (January, 2003)
On Patriotism  (February, 2003) 
Conscience of a Conservative  (April, 2002)
Consumer or Citizen?  (October, 2003)
Taking Stock  (December, 2002)
Mr. DeLay Goes to Washington  (March, 2002) 
Don't Just Get Mad, Get Smart  (March, 2002)
On Civic Friendship (May, 2000) 
 

Republicans -- Right Wing

Ayn Rand's Excellent Proposal  (March 3, 2010)
Don't Ridicule the Tea Baggers -- Recruit Them  (January 2, 2010)
On Behalf of the Tea Bag Brigades: A Proposal (April 16, 2009)
Take the Money and Run (March, 2009)
Why Liberals are Not Libertarians (November, 2008)
The Road to Catastrophe (October, 2008)
Privatization: The Key to the Coming Solar Age (April, 2008)
Climate Reality Bites the Libertarians  (April 8, 2008)
My Encounter with William F. Buckley, Jr. (March, 2008)
Privatized Hell (November, 2007)
A Failed Experiment (June, 2007)
The Malleable World of the Neo-Cons (February, 2007)
Right and Left: In a Nutshell.  (March, 2006) 
Randville, Rawlsburg, and New Orleans (September, 2005)
Who Lost New Orleans? (September, 2005)
A Master Morality (March, 2005)
Letter to a Republican Friend (August, 2004)
Suckers for Jesus. (aka: "How Would Jesus Vote?") (August, 2004)
Privatized Hell  (June, 2003)
Dear CEO: Is This Really What You Want? (March, 2003)
Junk Psychology  (June, 2002)
The State Religion  (January, 2002) 
Kill the Umpire  (September, 2001) 
 

Civil Liberties -- Dissent

Dissent: What's in it for You  (September, 2007)
On "Hating America"  (June, 2003)
Moscow on the Potomac  (November, 2002) 
Junk History as Legal Precedent  (January, 2002)
On Patriotism (January, 2002)
Free to Agree  (December, 2001)
Liberty Swap (September, 2001)
 

Moral Issues and The Law

America as a Free Fire Zone.  (February, 2011)
Property Rights and Public Accommodations (July, 2010)
Morality as a Plus-Sum Game...  (April, 2010)
Evil as the Absence of Empathy  (July, 2008)
Jose Padilla's Fate -- and Ours  (August, 2007)
Touch Football and Television  (April, 2007) .  (April 2007)
A Defense of Moral Relativism. (November, 2005) 
Prices and Values (August, 2005) 
When the Law Goes Flat  (July, 2004) 
John Rawls -- A Tribute  (March, 2004)
The Paradoxical "Right to Life"  (January, 2003) 
What Would Jesus Do?  (October, 2002) 
Junk Psychology  (June, 2002)
Junk History as Legal Precedent  (January, 2002)
Reflections on the Gurney (Capital Punishment)  (March, 1999)
Round Up the Usual Suspects (Gun Control) (May, 1999)

 

Science, Philosophy and Education

On the Morality of Science,  (May, 2007)
Touch Football and Television  (April, 2007)
Why Should I Pay for Someone Else's Education?  (April, 2005)
"Creationism" and the Devolution of the Intellect  (February, 2005)
Is Science Just Another Dogma?  (July, 2002)  
President of Fantasyland: Bush v. Science  (May, 2002)
John Rawls -- A Tribute  (December, 2002)
The Banalization of Genius  (April, 2000)
Global Defense  (March, 2000)
In Defense of Research Universities (February, 1999)
Why Be Reasonable? (March, 1998)
Yes, Virginia, There is a Real World  (1996)

 

Economics

If It's Good for General Motors, Is it Good for the Rest of Us?  (May 18, 2010)
Theory vs. Reality: Why Market Fundamentalism Fails  (December 16, 2008)
In a Financial Crisis, Who Do You Call? The Democrats!  (September 23, 2008)
The Outsourcing Tragedy (August 5, 2008)
Reverse Henry Fordism (June, 2008)
Market Failure: The Back of the Invisible Hand (June, 2007)
The Public Interest and the Limits of Volunteerism.  (December, 2006)
The Scorpion, The Frog, and The Corporation. (September, 2006)
Prices and Values.  (August, 2005) 
Something's Gotta Give  (January, 2005)
Symbionts and Parasites  (September, 2004) 
In the Deep Voodoo  (October, 2002)
The Oil Trap (August, 2002)
Flunking Econ. 101  (July, 2001) 
The Deserving Rich? (February, 2001) 
Sucker Economics (November, 1999)
The New Alchemy.  (July, 1999)  
Two Lessons from Russia (October, 1998)

The Environment

How to Talk to a Climate Change Denier  (November, 2013)
Nuclear Power -- Not Now, Not Ever  (March, 2011)
A Convenient Delusion (December, 2009)
Climate Reality Bites the Libertarians  (April, 2008) 
The California Wildfires and Right-Wing Smoke   (November, 2007)
Global Engineering and Climate Change  (October, 2007)
Last Chance for Civilization  (May, 2005)
Whose Trees Are These? (January 2005) 
The Environmental Fire Sale (July 2004)
Garrett Hardin -- A Tribute (October, 2003)
If It Burns, It Earns  (October, 2003)
Elegy for a Ponderosa Pine Tree  (August, 2003)
Northern Exposure  (September, 2002)
The Oil Trap (August, 2002)
My Seven Years as a Corporate Token (August, 2001)
Blissful Ignorance  (May, 2001)
Is Everything "Natural"?  (September, 2000)
Put Down that Monkey Wrench! (July, 2000)
 

Lies -- Propaganda -- Corruption

The Big Lie.  (April, 2011)
"That's Just Your Opinion"  (June, 2008)
Newspeak and the Corruption of Politics  (April, 2006)
The Language Trap  (February, 2005)
Political Propaganda:  Selling Lies Like Cigarettes    (July, 2004) 
A Modest Proposal  (February, 2003)
Newspeak Lives!  (December, 2002)
Blissful Ignorance (May, 2001)
A Bribe by Any Other Name  (April, 2001)
 

The Culture War -- The Religious Right

About this "Mormonism" Thing.  (December, 2007)
"Do You Believe in God?"  April, 2007
Through a Glass, Darkly  (November, 2005)
What a Friend We Have in Jesus  (May, 2005)   (May, 2005) 
Suckers for Jesus (How Would Jesus Vote?)   August, 2004) 
What Would Jesus Do?  (October, 2002) 
President of Fantasyland: Bush v. Science  (May, 2002)
One Nation, Under God, Divisible  (March, 2002) 
Warriors of the Lord  (November, 2001)
The Holy Land  (November, 2001)

 

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Chronological Listing of Essays

These essays, which originate at The Crisis Papers (since November, 2002)
are normally published at many other progressive websites. 

2014

 

July 2 March 15 March 11 February 20 January 17

Bungling Toward Oblivion: A Letter to my Friends in Russia. Russia -- An Appreciation Thinking Like a Russian Debate Creationism vs. Evolution?  Why Bother? The Harder They Fall

 

2011 -- 2013

Nov. 6, 2013 Dec. 28, 2012 Oct. 26, 2012 April 12, 2011 March 28. 2011 Feb. 23, 2011

How to Talk to a Climate Change Denier Romney, Mormonism and "The Religious Test." R. I. P. American Democracy The Big Lie Nuclear Power -- Not Now, Not Ever America as a Free Fire Zone

 

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

Nov. 11  Oct. 7 October Sept. 23 Sept. 2  Aug. 19  July 7  June 30  June 23  June 9  April 28 April 21 April 14 Mar 31 Mar 20 Mar 13 Mar 6 Feb 27 Feb 6 Jan 30 Jan. 16

If it Burns, it Earns   Consumer or Citizen?  Garrett Hardin -- A Tribute After the Internet   Now We are the Redcoats! Elegy for a Ponderosa Pine Tree   The Late, Great, American Republic... On "Hating America"   Privatized Hell  Where are the Grownups?   Conscience of a Conservative   Can an Entire Country go Mad?   Blissful Ignorance   The Greatest Story Never Told    Thoughts on the Eve of a Disaster    The View from Wonderland    Dear CEO:  Is This Really What You Want?   A Modest Proposal   On Patriotism   The Paradoxical "Right to Life"   Strategies for Underdogs

2002

December Dec. 29 Dec. 19 Dec. 5 Nov. 19 Oct. 16 Oct.  3 Sept. 20 Sept. July    4 June 17 June 10 May 31 May 23 May 7 May 7 April 9 March 26 March 17 March 14 March 10 March 8 February Feb. 12 Jan. 22 Jan. 20 Jan. 10

John Rawls -- A Tribute  A Bribe by Any Other Name     Newspeak Lives!   Taking Stock    Moscow on the Potomac   In Deep Voodoo   What Would Jesus Do?   Despotism by Accident   Northern Exposure Is Science Just Another Dogma?   Junk Psychology   Where's the Outrage?   Flunking Econ. 101   The Paradoxical "Right to Life"   Forgive U.S. our Trespasses President of Fantasyland: Bush v. Science   Don't Just Get Mad, Get Smart   One Nation, Under God, Divisible   About Those Polls   Following the Light   Global Defense   Mr. DeLay Goes to Washington  The Press and Party Symbiosis The Deserving Rich?  The New Alchemy   Junk History as Legal Precedent   The State Religion

1998 -- 2001

Dec. 31 Dec.  6 November Oct. 24 October Sept. 24 Sept.  7 August July February	2001 Free to Agree   Warriors of the Lord Why Do They Hate Us So Much? The Holy Land Reflections on "Black Tuesday" (9/11) Liberty Swap  Kill the Umpire  My Seven Years as a Corporate Token Flunking Econ. 101  The Deserving Rich?
November September July April	2000 About the 2000 Election  (Several Essays) Is Everything "Natural"?  Put Down that Monkey Wrench! The Banalization of Genius
November August March February	1999 Sucker Economics Devouring the Seed Grain Reflections on the Gurney (Capital Punishment)   In Defense of Research Universities
October May March	1998 Two Lessons from Russia Round Up the Usual Suspects (Gun Control) Why Be Reasonable?

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Dr. Ernest Partridge is a consultant, writer and lecturer in the field of Environmental Ethics and Public Policy. He has taught Philosophy at the University of California, and in Utah, Colorado and Wisconsin. He publishes the website, "The Online Gadfly" (www.igc.org/gadfly) and co-edits the progressive website, "The Crisis Papers" (www.crisispapers.org).  Dr. Partridge can be contacted at: gadfly@igc.org .