A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

On Quora, David Bolick, a conservative troll who has been edit-blocked for violating site rules, asks this sarcastic and insincere question about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): Is one new rule that Pelosi is now more powerful than the President and that he now works for her? My reply to Mr. Bolick: No. One of the basic principles that all Americans are taught in school is that the Federal government is divided into three equal but separate branches, each one with powers and responsibilities specified in the Constitution. This was designed so that one branch would not become more dominant than the others. The three branches are: The Executive Branch, which includes the President, the Cabinet and the various Departments that run the day-to-day government operations. (Example of a Cabinet-level Department: the State Department, which handles our diplomatic efforts overseas). The Legislative Branch, which consists of a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature c

© 2019 Salon.com On Quora, right-wing member and hater of all things liberal David Bolick asks this about Quora sponsor Salon : Why does Quora allow such offensive sponsors as this? I replied thusly: Well, for starters, because  Salon  is  not  what most rational and educated people would consider “offensive.” It is not, say, a site that peddles porn of any kind, incites violence, or promotes bigotry, misogyny, or engages in conspiracy theories. Of course, if you happen to be a self-identified conservative with what others might consider extreme right-wing views, i.e. all liberals are “evil” and “Democrats should all be shot,” then I can see - all too clearly - why someone might consider  Salon  offensive. For those Quora members who are scratching their heads as to why someone would consider  Salon  “offensive,” here are the basic facts about the website: Here’s Wikipedia’s description of  Salon: Salon  is an American news and opinion website, created by  David Tal