Want Socialism? Try the U.S. Military.

by Mike Lofgren America’s love affair with lunacy continues undimmed. Along with flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, and fans of perpetual motion, according to a May 21 Ipsos poll, 53 percent of Republicans now assert that Donald Trump is the current President of the United States. There is a tendency in the reality-based community to regard these folks as obscure lunatics who yell at their TVs in trailer parks when they’re not ruining a relative’s Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, this epidemic of delusional belief embraces a more exalted layer of the social spectrum, a group on which the maintenance of our democracy—deeply flawed as it is—may hinge. This May, …

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New Hampshire’s Original Craft Brewery Celebrates 30 Years

The Portsmouth Brewery credits its longevity to a community-minded approach and an ability to innovate [Normally we jettison all press releases for being irrelevant, unreadable, or ads in disguise. Frequently they meet all three of these criteria. We are pleased to publish this—an exception on all counts. Longtime readers will know that the Portsmouth Brewery played a critical role in supporting this newspaper for many years. We send our heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks to Peter, Joanne, Maxine, and the entire staff of the Brewery, current and former, on this auspicious occasion. — The Ed.] Portsmouth, New Hampshire—The Portsmouth Brewery, New Hampshire’s first licensed craft …

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The Anti-Semitism Slur

To the Editor: As a concerned human being and a Jew who also lives in Portsmouth, I can certainly sympathize with Ari Alexenberg and his family on their recent trip to Israel, as Mr. Alexenberg described in his guest column on May 30th in the Portsmouth Herald. My life was not in danger on my visit to Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza border on a visit a year ago. We related to average citizens, not terrorists. I’m afraid that my experience and beliefs do not align with Mr. Alexenberg’s. For example, I do not believe that the dispute in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood …

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There Are Worse Ways to Spend Money

To the Editor, There are few things Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan could support that would do more to reduce suffering in this world than federal funding for cultured-meat research. For those who don’t know, cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughter. This revolutionary technology will help usher in a more compassionate future. We kill over a trillion aquatic and land animals every year for food. The amount of suffering this represents is impossible to comprehend. While the field of cellular agriculture has made significant strides, more open-access research is needed to reach price parity and develop whole-cut meats. I hope Congress will …

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Don Ewing Goes Green…ish

To the Editor: We all want a clean, healthy environment. We all want the inexpensive and reliable energy, from whatever source, that enables us to prosper, have a healthy environment, and live healthy lives. And, we want these for ourselves and for future generations. Energy sources like solar, wind, and biomass have been promoted as solutions to the alleged Man-Made Climate Change problem that I, and some others, believe is overstated, if not enormously inflated. This has, perhaps, not enabled an adequate independent consideration of solar, wind, and biomass (green) energy production, without being influenced by considerations of climate change. Michael Moore is very concerned …

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Holding Out for a Mirage

Dear Editor, Our country’s Capitol was attacked January 6th. Far worse than the attack on our embassy in Benghazi, this was an insurrection against our democracy. Republicans mounted six Congressional investigations into Benghazi. A majority of 54 Senators voted yes to investigate the Capitol attack. A Republican minority voted against investigating. The Senate’s filibuster rule requires a 60-vote majority. Fifty-one Democratic votes could rescind the filibuster, but Senators Manchin and Sinema are holding out for “bipartisanship.” The truth about January 6 must come out. The truth must identify those responsible for the attack. Truth must counter those Republican liars claiming the Capitol terrorists were merely …

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