Trump’s Brand of Populism Many people have wondered how Donald Trump attracted a hard core of followers despite all that was known about him. There were those who came to his side for strictly ideological reasons. Some were evangelicals who came en masse based on Trump’s promise to appoint conservative judges to overturn Roe v.… More
Capitalism, Greed and Taxes
Capitalism’s Increasing Failure We live in a capitalist system that has produced great wealth for the country. But a large and growing percentage of our citizens no longer share in its bounty. The rising tide no longer lifts all boats. No, I’m not suggesting we dismantle the capitalist system, but we also can’t allow ourselves… More
Russian Meddling – Don’t Talk About It
Don’t Talk About Russian Meddling Don’t talk about Russian meddling in our elections. That was the essence of the warning Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney gave then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen earlier this year before her meeting with the President. Several news sources reported Mulvaney told her it “wasn’t a great subject… More
2020 Democrats — Flashing Warning Signs
Misreading the results It’s easy to understand how a big electoral victory can instill a high confidence level. But such a large victory can also lead to a misreading of its impact on future results. That is particularly true when the warning signs start flashing and many Democrats seemingly ignore them. But history has repeatedly… More
Hatred – Politicians’ Path to Power
Hatred – the Path to Power In the world of politics there are certain politicians who promote hatred as a path to gain or retain power. Whether it’s directed against immigrants, Mexicans, blacks, Muslims or Jews, they spew a common message. Their first step is to emphasize that these people are “The Other.” They look… More
Trump’s Delusions Damage Diplomacy
A Genius in His Own Mind It takes a degree of self-confidence, narcissism and perhaps even arrogance to achieve high political office. Once there, however, most competent individuals recognize their lack of expertise in highly specialized areas. Thus, they rely on experts for advice in areas such as economics, foreign policy and military strategy. Not… More
Snatching Defeat from the Arms of Victory
The 2016 Election In 2016 Hillary Clinton was the odds-on favorite to win the presidential election. Yet something happened on the way to the ballot box, and she snatched defeat out of the arms of victory. Granted, Russian interference in the election promoting Donald Trump certainly cost her votes in several key states. As did… More
National Security—an Emergency?
The National Security Emergency For 35 days the President of the United States forced a shutdown of the Federal Government. He made 800,000 government employees miss two paychecks and federal contractors lose that many days of pay. He created financial hardship for them and the thousands of small businesses that depend upon them for their… More
Trump, Treason and The Manchurian Candidate
Treason Defined in the U.S. Constitution The U.S. Constitution provides a definition of treason. It declares, “Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them [the U.S.], or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.” Some may contend that certain actions—for example, Russian interference in U.S. elections—are the… More
Easy to Win Trade Wars
The Trade War Declaration “When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win.” So said Donald Trump in a tweet on March 2, 2018. Previously in January he had placed a 30% tariff on foreign made… More