Opinions

Hardcore political ideology has never caught on with most Americans.
That’s to the dismay of ideologues on both the political left and political right whose focus is often more about theory than reality. Ideologues on the left believe in expansive government and a multitude of social welfare benefits. Those on the right believe the opposite, that government is more of a problem than a solution.
The one thing that both sides have in common is a dogmatic view that they, and only they, are right. [Full Story »] 

Warehouses have become a big issue in Jackson County. Two current proposed warehouses — one in Braselton and one in Jefferson — are facing pushback from citizens who claim they aren’t needed and would be detrimental to the community.
The controversial proposed Braselton warehouse would be 462,000 sq. ft. and located at Henry Braselton Drive. The developers want to annex that parcel into the city limits of Braselton since under city rules, a larger warehouse could be built. (County rules would limit the size to 150,000 sq. ft. without a special use waiver. If the property isn’t annexed and the county denies a waiver, developers say they will build a group of smaller warehouses rather than one large facility.) [Full Story »] 

The cry to “repeal Obamacare” has begun to cool in the last few months.
That’s because a lot of people, including Republicans in Congress, are starting to understand that “repeal” isn’t that simple.
Let’s face it, much of the cry to repeal Obamacare has nothing to do with health care or health insurance. It’s political. Republicans oppose it because it was Obama’s signature program and because his name was informally attached to the legislation. [Full Story »] 

As a political independent, I get to be critical of both Democrats and Republicans.
This week, it’s time for a message to Democrats.
First, please stop acting like idiots. [Full Story »] 

Will you have a job in 5 years? Or 10 years?
Maybe not, if some predictions about our economic future are accurate. [Full Story »] 

BY MIKE BUFFINGTON, CO-PUBLISHER
“Refugee” has suddenly become a dirty word in the U.S.
President Trump’s recent refugee ban has put a negative focus on refugees from around the world. Ugly anti-refugee Facebook memes have become ubiquitous. The fog of hatred is thick in political debate.
That’s because many Americans, especially those who seem to hate refugees the most, have never met a refugee. Most don’t know the difference between a refugee and an immigrant (see below.) Their hatred is in the abstract, a vague “us” vs. “them” mentality even when they don’t know who “them” really is. [Full Story »] 

Not since the Civil War has the U.S. been as polarized as it is today.
While that war was geographic in nature — North vs. South — it was really a war between two different version of America. In just about every way, the North and South were different in the 1800s. We had different economies, different histories and different cultures.
We were, in effect, two different tribes. [Full Story »] 

The medical marijuana debate will be back again this year in the Georgia Legislature, but the efforts remain a long shot.
Rep. Allen Peake has introduced legislation calling for a state constitutional amendment that would allow medical marijuana to be cultivated in the state for medical use. If approved, voters would vote on the idea in 2018.
But getting that legislation out of the General Assembly will be difficult. Medical cannabis remains a controversial issue despite much evidence that the plant does have medicinal properties. State law enforcement leaders are opposed to the idea, as are other key state leaders including Gov. Nathan Deal and state agriculture commissioner Gary Black. [Full Story »] 

On Friday, Donald Trump became the U.S.A.’s 45th president. Despite the fact that he lost the popular vote, he won the Electoral College vote.
Some of his critics on the left have sought to delegitimize his election because of that quirk, but they are wrong. For better or worse, Trump is legally our president. [Full Story »]