The world is at war in slow motion, until it isn’t

There is a sense of watching some sad tragicomedy unfold, wondering what unexpected and unanticipated catastrophe will happen next, oblivious to the reality that – as at the start of World War I – we might literally be one bullet away from worldwide destruction.  On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his… Continue reading The world is at war in slow motion, until it isn’t

Biden’s third war in three years makes this the worst foreign policy ever

At every turn, President Biden has chosen a path that prioritizes talk over action, believing that countries saying they are for something is the same as actually achieving that something, and has failed to deliver actual progress while the world continues to burn. This weekend, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. completed a tragic trifecta the… Continue reading Biden’s third war in three years makes this the worst foreign policy ever

TikTok, Republicans, and their inability to understand the nature of political power

Today’s establishment minded Republicans are fond of placing what they perceive to be important principles over common sense, transforming their positions into a classic suicide pact. History provides a better guide to a be a successful GOP President. There’s no doubt the second Republican debate was a disorganized mess, marred by poor moderation, worse questions,… Continue reading TikTok, Republicans, and their inability to understand the nature of political power

Taming the budget the Calvin Coolidge way

The budget is an out of control beast, but this isn’t the first time elevated spending combined with massive inflation to threaten the economy. The Constitution gives the President the tools today as it did in the 1920s. All that’s missing is the will to do it the Coolidge way, cutting everywhere you can and… Continue reading Taming the budget the Calvin Coolidge way

Impeachment: The political bombshell that wasn’t

Once upon a time, this would have been huge news, especially one backed by multiple pieces of evidence and the clear knowledge the President did, in fact, lie many times, but in today’s highly polarized age, no one, and I mean no one, seems to care.  During the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump,… Continue reading Impeachment: The political bombshell that wasn’t

“Silent” Calvin Coolidge and the existential battles of our time

“We are facing an issue that knows no party.  It is not new.  That issue is supremacy of the Law.  On this issue America has never made but one decision,” the future President declared while facing down an unprecedented police strike in 1919. Before Calvin Coolidge was elected President in 1920, he faced an existential threat… Continue reading “Silent” Calvin Coolidge and the existential battles of our time

“Barbenheimer,” Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and the dearth of original ideas

I cannot be the only one increasingly tired with critics hailing recycled ideas packaged in slick ways as modern masterpieces, nor do I think anyone should be impressed that a movie made by a small army at a cost of at least a hundred million dollars looks good.  Unless you are a recent arrival from… Continue reading “Barbenheimer,” Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and the dearth of original ideas

DeSantis’ disastrous unforced error on slavery and African American history

The conflict over a curriculum proposed for Advanced Placement students offered Governor DeSantis a rare opportunity to demonstrate how one can combine an unflinching assessment of United States history with an optimistic, pro-America vision, but he completely blew it. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is purported to be the no-drama alternative to former President Donald Trump,… Continue reading DeSantis’ disastrous unforced error on slavery and African American history

This Fourth of July, celebrate the absurdity of human existence with a bang

However absurd life may seem at times, and certainly life and absurdity go hand in hand from our limitations as a human being to our precarious position in a universe that cares nothing for us, there’s always an excuse to party. I’m certainly not the first one to comment on the absurdity of human existence. … Continue reading This Fourth of July, celebrate the absurdity of human existence with a bang

For better or worse, Succession is the ideal show for our times

The same as Logan’s children seek to inherit his creation without having done the hard work of building it, hard work which included shady deals, sacrificing morals when convenient, cutting corners when necessary, and screwing over competitors, we inherit a world built by giants from Thomas Edison to Teddy Roosevelt and have no idea what… Continue reading For better or worse, Succession is the ideal show for our times