Audacious Distraction
While Americans are kept safely distracted by an endless array of “culture wars,” most of which are devised by the MAGA Republican right, our economic inequality continues to flourish unabated—or rather, with a little help from its friends and supporters. A relatively small group of super-wealthy individuals and families may or may not be sincere […]
Demented Narcissist Leading the MAGAs
There are those (mostly MAGA Republicans, of course) who think we should move on from the events of January 6. But how can we put it behind us when so much of what we learn proves things were even worse than we suspected? Thanks to Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony, we now KNOW that former President Trump […]
The Majority is Under Assault
At the beginning of the first January 6 Committee hearing, Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) spoke of the link between political extremism in the U.S. and social control, both of which are about a small group of people dominating others, a minority imposing their worldview on the majority. Well, what do you know? That’s something we’re […]
The Twilight of Our Democracy?
Whatever the revelations of the January 6 Committee hearings, including Trump’s obvious coup attempt, this humble spirit is once again struck by the terrible anger harbored by Trump’s MAGA minions, how furious they are, how wronged they sincerely believe themselves to be. It appears that much of their anger and resentment is driven by fear […]
After All He’s Done for Us
When asked why he was willing to attack the U.S. Capitol and try to overturn the 2020 election, one of Trump’s MAGA minions, a member of his private army of “Proud Boys” and “Oath Keepers,” replied “After all he’s done for us.” The sad truth is that Trump didn’t do a damn thing for those […]
An Artillerist’s Take on Gun Culture
As someone who achieved fame as a Confederate artillerist (“Lee’s boy artillerist,” they called me), I acknowledge I may not be the best advocate for gun control in America. On the other hand, if a former artillerist like myself is concerned over the damage guns are doing to our country, people should probably take note. […]
Children Dying at School
Speakers at the NRA’s annual convention, including former president Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), repeatedly blamed the mass shooting of elementary school children in Uvalde, TX on “evil” rather than guns. According to them, evil people kill children, not guns; the problem isn’t too many guns but too much evil in our society. […]
The Median Age is Deceased
To paraphrase the long-gone comedian George Jessel (1898-1981), the median age of the Democrats’ congressional leadership is deceased. Nancy Pelosi’s achievements deserve our respect, but she’s 82 years old. Stenny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader is also 82. Jim Clyburn, the Majority Whip, is the kid in the group at 81. In contrast, the average […]
Power and Control
This humble spirit firmly agrees with those who contend that overturning Roe v. Wade is all about power and control, not protecting the lives of unborn children. Like so many, I fear the leaked SCOTUS opinion portends other high court decisions assaulting freedom in America. It sure feels like part of an authoritarian wave to […]
White Nationalist Patriots
This year the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) will be held in Budapest, Hungary, with Viktor Orban, the country’s recently reelected strongman prime minister, serving as the keynote speaker. Orban is admired by many among America’s far-right (good ol’ Tucker Carlson tops the list, of course), and he, in turn, is a vocal admirer of […]
Honoring War Criminals
So, what do you think of Putin honoring the Russian soldiers who committed war crimes— purposely slaughtering civilians, including beheadings and torture—in Bucha, Ukraine? He praised the 64th Motorized Brigade for “mass heroism and bravery, steadfastness and fortitude” and for “distinguishing itself in military action for the protection of the Fatherland and state interests.” They […]
Trump’s Thing for Putin
Doesn’t it seem more than a coincidence that Donald Trump is just about the only remaining Republican left who hasn’t denounced Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine? No matter Putin’s crimes against humanity, Trump would never say a critical word about his Russian buddy. Why do you think that is? One theory is that, just like […]
Russia’s Atrocities
Russia is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine, striking civilian targets and killing innocent people for no purpose but to disrupt any semblance of civilized society and instill terror. The Russians are losing the war against the Ukrainian military, so they’re seeking to destroy the populous and reduce a once thriving, democratic country to rubble. […]
The Impending Midterms
Whatever their shortcomings, we need the Democrats to protect us from the MAGAs who are poised to take over the House, if not the Senate, in the 2022 midterms. Do you really want Jim Jordan running the House Judiciary Committee? Do you want to see the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert on […]
Mrs. Supreme Court Justice
How many shoes are yet to drop in the investigation of the January 6th Capitol Insurrection and Trump’s “Big Lie”? Last week we learned that Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was urging Mark Meadows, then Trump’s chief of staff, to take whatever steps necessary to overturn the 2020 election. […]
Putin’s Useful Idiot(s)
Putin’s barbaric attack on Ukraine and the world’s overwhelming opposition have left America’s far-right engaged in a tizzy of distortions and back-peddling. Even Hungary, which only several months ago was celebrated by Tucker Carlson as a white authoritarian Eden, has sided with its NATO allies against Putin. The Russian dictator’s actions in Ukraine have definitely […]
Russia’s Oligarchs
Take a look below at Russia’s richest oligarchs. Along with Vladimir Putin, they are the greedy old dudes who own and control Russia, most especially it’s vast natural resources, including its oil, gas and coal. While it is hard to determine the balance of power between Putin and his oligarchs—some say they have long-since relinquished […]
Sanction Russia’s Oil and Gas
Putin and his band of oligarchs have a lot in common with the lords of the 19th century “Cotton Kingdom,” the “slave power” that took the Southern states to war to defend their empire, the catastrophe known as the American Civil War. Just as the South’s antebellum economy was almost solely dependent on cotton, the […]
The Attack on Ukraine
Vladimir Putin, an authoritarian dictator who has turned Russia into a kleptocracy, is in the process of destroying democratic Ukraine for no purpose but to fuel his megalomania, his fanatical desire to reclaim the Soviet Empire at any cost. He wants to install a pro-Russian puppet government in Ukraine, no matter how many people he […]
Ya Think?!
Ahmaud Arbery’s convicted killers (Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan) were tried in federal court this past week to determine whether the murder was motivated by Arbery’s race and color—if it was a hate-crime. Ya think?! Was there ever any doubt they were motivated by racist hatred? Could there be a more flagrant […]