My Top Ten Blog Entries from 2017

2017 was a crazy year. The United States witnessed a first insane and unforgettable year with Donald Trump as the President of the United States and leader of the free world. It has been crazy enough where I even had some liberal friends saying how they missed President George Bush (43) because it has been that crazy. That does not even consider such international events as North Korea escalating its nuclear arms program, Catalonia seceding from Spain, or Emmanuel Macron being elected as President of France. As politics both in the United States and abroad become more polarized, I would like to take a brief moment to not only thank you, the viewer, for not only continuing to read the work that I publish, but also to take a look at some of the highlights that I published in 2017. In chronological order, here they are:

1. Building a Wall on the U.S.-Mexican Border. This was one of President Trump's infamous campaign promises. After taking a look at the proposal, there was no public policy basis for constructing it. 
2. Women Clergy in Orthodox Judaism. Politics are always intriguing to watch, but all the more so when adding religion into the mix. For those who are Jewish or who are even into Jewish religious politics, this topic has been one that has been transforming the Orthodox Jewish world. The long and short of my opinion? Orthodox Jewish women should be allowed to be members of the clergy. 
3. Mandated Menstrual Leave in Italy. This one was more obscure than some of the others I have written, but it was interesting to take both the social and economic arguments in account before concluding that mandating menstrual leave would do Italy more harm than good. 
4. The Opioid Crisis and Government Involvement. The interesting part of being a consequentialist libertarian who shows his side of pragmatism is to acknowledge when there actually a role for government to play in mitigating a crisis. Looking at what is going on with opioids in the United States, this is one of those times.
5. Politeness versus Political Correctness. As much as proponents of political correctness would like to keep conflating politeness with political correctness, I can tell you that there is a world of difference between the two, which is why I prefer politeness over political correctness. 
6. 15 Reasons to Dislike Obamacare. If there is any blog entry this year I would consider a magnum opus, this would be it. Critics of Obamacare, including myself, were able to point out the problems that Obamacare was going to face even before it was enacted, and it looks like the critics were right.
7. Charlottesville Protest and White Supremacy. This blog entry took a look at hate crimes in the United States, the prevalence of the Far Right in the United States, the fighting words doctrine with regards to the First Amendment, and how to respond to hate. 
8. Celebrating Rosh Hashanah When Life Is Anything But Ideal. On a personal level, this year was tough for me. I wrote this piece to help those who are going through a rough time navigate the Jewish High Holidays. 
9. #MeToo and Sexual Assault. This one I found thought-provoking because I worked my way through the nuances of the sexual assault debate that go beyond tawdry stereotypes or simply ignoring the prevalence of sexual assault. 
10. Wedding Cake Supreme Court Case. Tricky cases make for bad law. The Supreme Court case about whether a same-sex couple can be refused the service of having a wedding cake baked for them or if the baker should be coerced into baking it. As I pointed out, there are no upsides to a broad ruling from the Supreme Court. If the baker wins, it could lead to discrimination against an entire class of people. If the Colorado Rights Commission wins, it could mean forcing people to provide goods and services against their conscience. My take on it was that the Supreme Court should side with the baker, but keep the scope of the ruling as narrow as possible.