My Best Blog Entries From 2016

With 2016 coming to a close, I look back to see what kind of year transpired. I don't do this simply in light of all the celebrity deaths or the unprecedentedly crazy election cycle that ultimately ushered in Donald Trump and a Republican Congress into power. I also look back at the blog entries I have written to see what kind of blogging year I have had. This year has had the greatest amount of readership, which I continue to thank you for. With that, let's recap the best blog entries from this year:

1. Single-payer healthcare. Not only did I rip into Bernie Sander's plan for single-payer healthcare, but I took a look at the three largest countries with single-payer healthcare, and the results were not flattering.
2. Liberty versus Security. This age-old argument played out in the form of whether the FBI should have backdoor access to the iPhone of one of the attackers from the San Bernardino terrorist attack. Can we preserve both liberty and security in a digital age? Only time will tell.
3. Trump and Tariffs. Even before becoming the Republican presidential nominee, Trump's view on tariffs worried me. If he actually enacts the high tariffs on Mexico and China that he was talking about, he would start a trade war that would make life worse off for the American citizens he was trying to protect with a policy that has no real economic basis. 
4. Transgender Bathroom Ban. A controversial solution to a non-existent problem. 
5. Brexit. While I am not a fan of the European Union, the United Kingdom leaving the European Union will, in all probability do more harm to the United Kingdom than good. Considering that it looks like the United Kingdom is going to go through with it, we will see if the prediction among so many experts plays out. 
6. Police Officers and African-Americans. This piece parses out that the arguments from Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter have kernels of truth, and the reality is more nuanced than "black people hate cops" or "cops are out to get black people."
7. The Iran Deal. One year later, do we see the Iran Deal as completing its main goals? In spite of some Right-wing fear-mongering, the Iran Deal is on track to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
8. John Oliver's Take on Charter Schools. This blog entry received the most views in 2016. While John Oliver has his funny moments, his view on charter schools was half-cocked and one-sided. 
9. Trickle-Down Economics. Differentiating between trickle-down economics and the liberalized markets that a more capitalistic society aims for. 
10. Regulating Condom Usage in Adult Films. California attempted to pass a Proposition that would have required condoms to be used in adult films. This Proposition was much more than public safety, and fortunately for the State of California, it did not pass.  
11. Trump and Flag Burning. Shortly after being elected, Trump tweeted that he wanted to punish flag burners by revoking citizenship, which is such a bad idea for more reasons than one. 
12. Judaism and Masturbation. In spite of the arguments that traditional Judaism has against masturbation, I found that when scrutiny is applied to the traditional arguments, they just don't stick. 

Happy New Year!