Democracy has no meaning anymore

The legal, lawful, and democratic expulsion of two lawmakers for willingly disrupting the proceedings of every other lawmaker in the Tennessee House Chamber can only be transformed into a threat to democracy if the word itself has no meaning anymore. “We called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault… Continue reading Democracy has no meaning anymore

Donald Trump and the creation of pseudo-crimes

The great historian Daniel J. Boorstin coined the phrase “pseudo-events” to describe the modern contrivances between politicians and the press that have the semblance of news but remain artificial and choreographed.  Welcome to the era of “pseudo-crimes” where there is no underlying criminal act, only an endless investigation with the sole purpose of an indictment,… Continue reading Donald Trump and the creation of pseudo-crimes

Biden’s budget is why the debt ceiling exists in the first place

The debt ceiling debate takes a strange turn after President Biden demands something of a duel among budgets without realizing that his own $6.9 trillion monstrosity, which would more than double the entire budget of just six years ago, is why the debt ceiling exists in the first place. Earlier this week, the Republican Speaker… Continue reading Biden’s budget is why the debt ceiling exists in the first place

Donald Trump and the ever present specter of political violence

The former President earned the ire of both progressives and moderate conservatives for stating the obvious that his indictment on seven-year old charges would cause “potential death & destruction,” but pointing out the truth should never be out of bounds, nor has it ever been in our history. Last week, former President Donald Trump earned… Continue reading Donald Trump and the ever present specter of political violence

The State of Trump and the Republican Race

The former President remains the top choice of Republican voters, especially among voters of color, despite threats of indictments and something of an establishment conservative rally around Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, complete with a rewriting of coronavirus history.  The race will come down to these two men and where it ends nobody knows… After Republicans… Continue reading The State of Trump and the Republican Race

Iraq: Anyone who doesn’t regret supporting the war is delusional, stupid, or lying

The Iraq War was by any definition a failure at all its stated goals, costing far more in blood, treasure, and time than expected, empowering our enemies, and failing to build a stable democracy and long term ally in a worn torn region, but there are some who still insist we should do it all… Continue reading Iraq: Anyone who doesn’t regret supporting the war is delusional, stupid, or lying

Russia isn’t intimidated by either President Biden or the broader free world

Continually escalating encounters with the United States military while the war in Ukraine rages on is not the strategy of a country on the verge of accepting defeat, but even a cursory understanding of history should not make that surprising.  A successful foreign policy requires a recognition of reality sorely lacking on all sides of… Continue reading Russia isn’t intimidated by either President Biden or the broader free world

In Ukraine and elsewhere, our enemies perceive only failure and the lessons of Teddy Roosevelt’s big stick diplomacy

President Biden and the mainstream media can trumpet the supposed success of our intense diplomacy all they like, but Russia remains in Ukraine and has no plans to end the war anytime soon.  Teddy Roosevelt forged a different, far more successful path in his first showdown with a foreign power, preferring secret talks to public… Continue reading In Ukraine and elsewhere, our enemies perceive only failure and the lessons of Teddy Roosevelt’s big stick diplomacy

The New York Times promotes propaganda for the government and the Nord Stream pipeline explosions

Everyone has an interest in learning who is responsible for the audacious act of sabotage that destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines last year.  Veteran reporter Seymour Hersh accused the US government of orchestrating the attack in a thinly sourced, but finely detailed piece.  The media largely ignored his findings, until The New York Times jumped… Continue reading The New York Times promotes propaganda for the government and the Nord Stream pipeline explosions

Lies, lies, and more lies are not the foundation for a functioning democracy

From January 6th to the pandemic with Senator John Fetterman in between, the narratives promoted by the government, political, and media establishments are devolving into lies and falsehoods.  Anyone who claims to care about democracy should care about this… Earlier this week, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson began releasing video footage from inside the Capitol Building… Continue reading Lies, lies, and more lies are not the foundation for a functioning democracy