Democracy vs. dictatorship: has the balance tipped?
Now Trump intends to give America confidence again. That’s what he means when he urges us all to make America great.
Monthly Archives: January 2017
Travel ban and plans for a breakup
Practically, planners, politicians, and other people with influence will want to ‘unwind the union’ when they begin to see why it benefits them. Perhaps we should thank Donald Trump for making that option appear more attractive than it ever has before.
Widening gyre
People look to Mr. Trump for hope, too, but we are about to see how quickly bad policies lead to illusions and failure. We are about to see what happens when a democracy destroys itself.
More entertainment from the White House
“Nobody is as honest as me. Believe me.”
Foreign policy leadership and incompetence
The world has entered a highly unsteady state, with no nation to enforce norms. In this environment, we need need good foreign policy leadership in Washington. We need a president who knows what he does not know.
Civic virtue and democratic politics
If civic virtue does exist, we will see disciplined resistance to President Trump emerge from groups who have only incidental relationships to the major political parties. More importantly, we will see disciplined resistance to all of government’s pressure on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. We will see active, tolerant followers, creative and imaginative leaders, and strategies for durable change.
President Trump’s inaugural address
Donald Trump set himself this task for his inaugural address: let me explain to you what I mean by “make …
Memories of presidential politics, 2009 – 2017
Twenty-five quotes we will remember from Barack Obama’s years in the White House: “If you like your health care plan, …
Vindication of skeptics: Part two
Conspiracy theorists regard themselves as skeptics. They see people who accept mainstream or official accounts as credulous. A mirror image …
Democrats want Comey to pay while they drown
If Democrats and Republicans don’t reform themselves soon, they will look back and wonder how they got lost when so many signs pointed in the right direction.
Vindication of skeptics: introduction
George Will writes, “The strongest continuous thread in America’s political tradition is skepticism about government.” That means when government makes a claim, citizens respond with doubt.
Machine Gun Trump vs. CIA
Sadly, though, the CIA demonstrates its treachery and betrayal of American ideals all too often. Betrayal is never funny, certainly not laughable. Yet presidents still enlist their help.
The Jeffersonian 