The Old Man & the Gun is a slow burn. It's a quiet film with no outbursts or expressions of anger or excitement. The words spoken are plain and to the point. And the cinematography is simple with not much flair. Together, these simple elements of The Old Man & the Gun come together to create a sentimental end to Robert Redford's acting career. If it's actually the end, of … [Read more...] about The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
Terrorist Rhetoric (Cartoon, Column and Video)
I’m not saying that if you’re a conservative who is in favor of strong and strict immigration policies, then you’re on the same side as a terrorist or the equivalent. But, if you’re using the issue of immigration to malign people and you use the same talking points and lies that inspired a terrorist to kill eleven people, then you’re speaking the same language. You’re talking … [Read more...] about Terrorist Rhetoric (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Korean Dog Meat and the Moral Zeitgeist
While the eyes of the world were fixed on the Winter Olympics earlier this year we missed a smaller series of events in Seoul where every day a group of protesters were loudly objecting to the consumption of dog meat in Korea. Dog meat has been eaten for hundreds of years in Korea, China and Vietnam, particularly as a summer food. Happily, especially for dogs, the tide is … [Read more...] about Korean Dog Meat and the Moral Zeitgeist
Great Music – Chapter 36
Some really great music has been created for Broadway shows, with composers like Steven Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber etc. The last couple days have been difficult for me with the pipe bomb mailings and the massacre in Pittsburg. So often when confronted by sad things out of my control, I turn to music as a healing prescription. So it was I turned to the music of one of my … [Read more...] about Great Music – Chapter 36
Cartoons: Thoughts and Prayers
Don’t tell me that ‘both sides’ need to do better
WASHINGTON -- "Both sides" are not responsible for the horrific political terrorism we have seen this past week. Only the right is to blame -- starting with President Trump and his complicit enablers in the Republican Party. They have been playing with fire. It was inevitable that people would get burned. Am I not supposed to blame Trump? Well, he blames me. After at … [Read more...] about Don’t tell me that ‘both sides’ need to do better
How America Made Me White
It took me a couple of seconds to get Stephen Colbert’s joke line, “I don’t see race” when I first heard it. In the USA, the joke works because no one can seriously imagine everyone’s not seeing race. But when I first heard it, I had to work that out, because I was born and raised in the UK … and I never saw race. That’s not because I am more evolved than any … [Read more...] about How America Made Me White
Trump’s America is not a safe place for Jews
WASHINGTON -- George Washington, in his 1790 letter to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, told Jews they would be safe in the new nation. "The government of the United States … gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance," he wrote. "May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the … [Read more...] about Trump’s America is not a safe place for Jews
Stronger Than Hate (UPDATE)
[Scroll to bottom for update] In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre and after learning of the tragedy, Pittsburgh resident Tom Hindes, 40, sat down at his computer and created an image that has now gone viral. Hindes’ image is based on the old U.S. Steel logo, “now popularized by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ helmets,” and includes The Star of David and the … [Read more...] about Stronger Than Hate (UPDATE)
Who Will Be the Mitt Romney of 2018?
By Thomas Hoffman After breezing through the primary, a Mitt Romney victory in the Utah Senate race appears inevitable. When Romney ran for President in 2012, Bill Maher was so desperate to thwart him; he donated a million dollars to President Obama's re-election campaign. After President Trump's election, Maher lamented that he would gladly serve up that million dollars … [Read more...] about Who Will Be the Mitt Romney of 2018?
Cartoon: Trump and his Base
Mike Slosberg is a cartoonist and novelist. He lives with his wife and hundreds of drawing pens on the Upper Westside of Manhattan, New York. You can see more of his cartoons and learn about his books by going to: mikeslosbergbooks.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Trump and his Base
Bolsonaro wins Brazil election, promises to purge leftists from country
Bolsonaro supporters celebrate outside his home in Rio de Janeiro after exit polls on Oct. 28 declared him the preliminary winner of Brazil’s 2018 presidential election. AP Photo/Leo Correa Helder Ferreira do Vale, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies After the most polarized and divisive campaign in its modern history, Brazil has elected as its next … [Read more...] about Bolsonaro wins Brazil election, promises to purge leftists from country
The politics of division can never unite us
WASHINGTON -- A well-meaning misunderstanding underlies the horrified hand-wringing over President Trump's refusal to reach for national unity in the face of terrorist threats against his opponents. It's assumed that those who hold the presidential office automatically push aside partisanship during moments of crisis. But this wishful thinking overlooks the central fact … [Read more...] about The politics of division can never unite us
Cartoon: MAGA House
Terror isn’t always a weapon of the weak – it can also support the powerful
A memorial vigil for the victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue where a shooter killed 11 and wounding six on Oct. 27, 2018. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar Arie Perliger, University of Massachusetts Lowell People often believe that terrorism is the weapon of the weak. In other words, terrorism is practiced by marginalized groups that … [Read more...] about Terror isn’t always a weapon of the weak – it can also support the powerful
Cartoon: Fake News
What history reveals about surges in anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiments
People place flowers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. AP Photo/Matt Rourke Ingrid Anderson, Boston University The shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in American history. Eleven people were killed when the gunman burst in on the congregation’s morning worship service … [Read more...] about What history reveals about surges in anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiments
On the Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre, by a Person Who Should Know
Almost eight years ago, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona) and eighteen others were shot during a "Congress on Your Corner" constituent meeting in a supermarket parking lot in Tucson, Arizona Although critically injured, Giffords eventually made an astonishing recovery. Not so fortunate were six others, including a nine-year old girl. As the victim of … [Read more...] about On the Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre, by a Person Who Should Know
Cartoon: Driving the Violence
GOP & Conservative Mainstream vs Trumpicans, Theocrats and Alt-Right
Members of the GOP and conservative mainstream constantly face trouble because others have them confused with Trumpicans, theocrats and members of the Alt-Right. Thus, clarification is needed. Mainstream conservatives are people who want the federal government to conform to the entire U.S. Constitution, not just to parts of it. For example, conservatives respect the … [Read more...] about GOP & Conservative Mainstream vs Trumpicans, Theocrats and Alt-Right