WASHINGTON -- President Trump's most urgent political problem doesn't involve Robert Mueller, Stormy Daniels, Vladimir Putin or the hundreds of thousands of voters who marched for gun control. Rather, it's that his diehard supporters might be starting to realize how thoroughly he has played them for suckers. On immigration, the issue that most viscerally connects the … [Read more...] about Trump has played his supporters for suckers
The hope-mongers’ march trumps cynicism
WASHINGTON -- For several hours on Saturday, cynicism was banned from the streets of what on many days seems to be the most cynical city in the world. Throngs estimated to number up to 800,000, and perhaps more, gathered because a group of determined, organized, eloquent and extremely shrewd high school students asked them to come, and because too many Americans have been … [Read more...] about The hope-mongers’ march trumps cynicism
The Diagnosis and Treatment of Ideological Possession
Jordan Peterson, the Canadian professor of psychology who in the last year has become North America’s most popular public intellectual, has spent many decades studying tyranny and its antecedents. As a result, he frequently warns his audiences of the unparalleled destructive power of “ideological possession”. As someone who has long been writing about the threat posed by … [Read more...] about The Diagnosis and Treatment of Ideological Possession
Shootout At The Not OK Corral: What Happens If Trump Fires The Special Prosecutor?
I have long believed that Donald Trump would not fire Robert Mueller despite his on-again, off-again threats to do so because saner heads would warn him that the collateral damage would be great. But most of the saner heads have left the building, including much of his legal team, and the president's behavior has become so maniacal as he starts a trade war, threatens a hot … [Read more...] about Shootout At The Not OK Corral: What Happens If Trump Fires The Special Prosecutor?
Six Ways to Become More Cultured and Tolerant of Others
The world is getting smaller, but people of different cultures still face immense challenges identifying with one another. Air travel, the internet, 24-hour media — these things can help expose us to different perspectives, but overcoming a lack of cultural understanding can sometimes require more than that. Simply being aware that other cultures exist doesn't help you … [Read more...] about Six Ways to Become More Cultured and Tolerant of Others
The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight
Naturally, the story about the Stormy Daniels interview that's dominating the blogosphere right now is about ... how good 60 Minutes' RATINGS were. Nothing could better describe the seriousness of our national media (remember, small bloggers no longer chart, the blogosphere having been taken over by major media blogs, just as they're starting their takeover of the podcast … [Read more...] about The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight
Cartoon: Putin
US to expel 60 Russian diplomats as punishment for poison attack in Britain
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and the closing of Moscow's last diplomatic outpost on the West Coast, part of a coordinated effort with U.S. allies to punish Russia for an attack using a deadly nerve agent earlier this month in Britain. The action, which involved a larger… … [Read more...] about US to expel 60 Russian diplomats as punishment for poison attack in Britain
Dark and Stormy (Cartoon and Column)
Stormy Daniels’ interview with Anderson Cooper aired on 60 Minutes Sunday night and it was kind of a letdown. If you’ve been following the story, you didn’t learn anything new except that someone threatened Stormy in a parking lot while she was with her daughter and the Forbes spanking actually happened. I got nothing out of this interview except for the night terrors. The … [Read more...] about Dark and Stormy (Cartoon and Column)
There’s No Minimum Age for Free Speech
There's No Minimum Age for Free Speech by Lysander Ploughjogger Perhaps the most common political tactic when arguing from a defensive position is to discredit the other side. With rising support for stricter gun control measures in the aftermath of yet another mass shooting -- and polls showing that even about three-quarters of NRA members support background checks -- … [Read more...] about There’s No Minimum Age for Free Speech
(UPDATE?!) The Nation Was Making Progress on LGBT Rights, Till There Was Trump.
UPDATE?! An update to a 2245-word long post? “Gimme me a break!” you say. I will. I’ll make it just “long enough” to point the reader to a couple of articles discussing one aspect of the “transgender ban” that seems to be a factor in Trump’s latest attack on the military LGBT community: “Gender dysphoria.” Here and here. Perhaps Dr. Estés can explain this … [Read more...] about (UPDATE?!) The Nation Was Making Progress on LGBT Rights, Till There Was Trump.
(UPDATE II) How Three . . . No, Four Women Have Made Donald Trump’s Life ‘A Living Hell’
A porn star, Playboy playmate and reality TV show contestant have succeeded in doing what no one else has -- silencing Donald Trump -- to which we can add a fourth woman, the First Lady. We know that because Trump, who spouts opinions about anything and everything, whether on Twitter or in off-the-cuff comments, has uncharacteristically lost his voice as he suffers through … [Read more...] about (UPDATE II) How Three . . . No, Four Women Have Made Donald Trump’s Life ‘A Living Hell’
The American Gun Law Paradox
As I see our youth spearheading the current national Gun law movement and debate, I wonder. Typically the young are more adventurous and risk-takers and their parents and elders more cautious and risk-averse. Typically the elders would do anything and everything in their power to try and decrease any real or perceived risk for their children and more acutely so if the young … [Read more...] about The American Gun Law Paradox
The kids are going to save us from ourselves
WASHINGTON -- The kids have come to save us. They have come from Florida, where their high school peers were gunned down on Valentine's Day, inspiring them to organize Saturday's March for Our Lives. They have also come from Minnesota, where my two teenage nephews boarded an overnight bus to Washington to participate in the march. They have come by the hundreds of … [Read more...] about The kids are going to save us from ourselves
Historical context for March for Our Lives movement
In 1853, a young man shot his brother’s teacher in a Kentucky classroom and was acquitted. His defense will sound familiar to anyone who remembers Trayvon Martin.* Since the 2016 president election, we have been actively reliving the mid-1800s run-up to the Civil War. White House historical parallels center on Nixon and Watergate. But the big social issues - especially gun … [Read more...] about Historical context for March for Our Lives movement
USA – ‘I don’t want to be next’: US youth march on Washington to end gun violence
Hundreds of thousands, many of them children, took to the streets of the US capital on Saturday to demand politicians take action on gun control and put a stop to the school shootings that have become a tragically regular occurrence. Organisers said they expected the March For Our Lives rally to attract some half a million… … [Read more...] about USA – ‘I don’t want to be next’: US youth march on Washington to end gun violence
Martin Luther King Jr’s granddaughter appeals for ‘gun-free world’
The nine-year-old granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. made a rousing appearance at a huge protest for gun control in Washington on Saturday, saying that like the slain civil rights leader she too has a dream -- "a gun-free world." The poised young girl made a surprise appearance at the "March For Our Lives" rally, held… … [Read more...] about Martin Luther King Jr’s granddaughter appeals for ‘gun-free world’
Tracking White House resignations and firings
Do you know the extent of the Trump White House turnover? As of this writing, 35 senior level staff have resigned or been fired. One has pled guilty in the Mueller investigation. Although President Trump claims that the White House is not in chaos, there has been an unprecedented level of turnover for an Administration that is barely into its second year. Two Cabinet … [Read more...] about Tracking White House resignations and firings
AN UPDATE ON A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
I had recently written on the fact that CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has been unable to research Gun violence because of a Dickey Amendment since 1996. Well, that is changing. In the spending bill signed into law yesterday, it is noted that the CDC has the authority to conduct research on the causes of gun violence. No money was such allocated, … [Read more...] about AN UPDATE ON A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Great Music – Chapter 12
As promised this chapter of Great Music will introduce a distinctly American form of music, Jazz. This music was developed in African-American communities in the South in the early 1900’s. It was basically a take-off of Blues music popular in those Black communities. Using improvisation, Jazz music experimented with different chords and introduced dissonance in its sounds that … [Read more...] about Great Music – Chapter 12