Category Archives: Politics

Build we must, build we should, and hopefully build we will.

Ed Note: It seems so obvious. Why not rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. Reconnect our people, create dazzling bridges, show what our country is capable of once more. But alas, nothing is being done at the Federal level. Krugman, the Yale … Continue reading

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What would Lincoln do?

By David BlankenhornSpecial to The Los Angeles Times Abraham Lincoln, who was born 210 years ago this month, was president during an era even more rancorous and polarized than our own. Yet he managed to navigate it — not in a … Continue reading

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Threat by Andrew McCabe

From the Atlantic: “Editor’s Note: Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI, was named acting director of the bureau after President Donald Trump fired his boss, Director James Comey, on May 9, 2017. McCabe would himself be fired less … Continue reading

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Commuting from Tijuana

Ed note: I asked our cab driver in San Diego, a native of Indiana, where he lived. The quick answer – Tijuana. “I commute every day and am saving an amazing amount of money. My 2 bedroom apartment in a gated community is only $600/month and I get all the … Continue reading

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Why Did Soviets Invade Afghanistan? Documents Offer History Lesson for Trump

Ed Note: The article below explains how little President Trump understands about Afghanistan. Or perhaps he does understand Russia’s aspirations there and is effectively turning the “great game” back their favor. The book, The Great Game, documents the long history … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Essays, History, Military, Politics, Religion, War | 1 Comment

“Parallels in Autocratic Leadership” with Wolfgang Mack, Author

Subtitled: “Where is America Heading?” The book is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.

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In 5G Race With China, U.S. Pushes Allies to Fight Huawei

Thanks to Mary Jane F for sending this in. From the NYT: ” Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign minister, arrived in Washington last week for a whirlwind of meetings dominated by a critical question: Should Britain risk its relationship with … Continue reading

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Neo-imperialist ventures abroad, followed by the rolling calamity of Brexit at home

Today’s NYT has a biting critique of Britain’s chummy elite. There have been decades of misguided and mismanaged decisions by elite but incompetent imperialists. Events now appear to be heading to England’s final chapter -the fiasco called Brexit. Forster blamed … Continue reading

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Senate Democrats introduce bill to deny tax loophole for Big Pharma ads

Ed note: Thanks to Dick D for sending this along. I’ve been puzzled when watching TV that so many commercials are for very expensive drugs for conditions that aren’t all that common. The hype benefits then discuss side effects (even … Continue reading

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Is Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign for real?

From Crosscut: “The last politician to run a serious race for president from this state was the legendary Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson in 1976.  His credentials were impeccable. Widely regarded as smart, effective and informed, Jackson, a Democrat, was respected in … Continue reading

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Bodyguard – a Netflix thriller

Ed note: This six episode of this mini-series nearly brought England to a standstill as 17 million persons there tuned in to find out what happened. David Budd (Richard Madden), a military veteran who fought in the Middle East, prevents … Continue reading

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The modern shoot out

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January 15th – 7:30 Parallels in Autocratic Leadership by Wolfgang Mack

Ed Note: Living in a totalitarian state was a transformative experience for the author. He will tell of his concerns about the rise of fascism in a number of countries and the dangers of nationalistic movements in our current politicalarena. Can we learn from the past? … Continue reading

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Reach out, listen, be patient. Good arguments can stop extremism

From Aeon: “Many of my best friends think that some of my deeply held beliefs about important issues are obviously false or even nonsense. Sometimes, they tell me so to my face. How can we still be friends? Part of … Continue reading

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Operation InfeKtion: How Russia Perfected the Art of War

Ed Note: This is a superb piece of investigative journalism by the NYT: “Russia’s meddling in the United States’ elections is not a hoax. It’s the culmination of Moscow’s decades-long campaign to tear the West apart. “Operation InfeKtion” reveals the ways … Continue reading

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Washington voters may get final say on safe injection sites

From Crosscut: “Not often do I praise the Seattle City Council, but here goes: When time came to take a stand on supervised heroin injection sites, the members stepped up and voiced their approval. So did the candidates for mayor, including eventual winner Jenny Durkan. True, … Continue reading

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Border wall strategic planning crib sheet

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Alexa enjoys hearing a joke

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Abandoning U.S.-Russia nuclear-arms treaty threatens our very existence

By : George P. Shultz and Mikhail Gorbachev         Special to The Washington Post More than 30 years have passed since the day the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union, meeting in Geneva, adopted a joint statement declaring … Continue reading

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How climate change could affect us all – new US government report (buried by release on Black Friday)

(CNN)The average global temperature is much higher and rising more rapidly than “anything modern civilization has experienced,” according to David Easterling, one of the authors of a new US government report that delivers a dire warning about our future. Thousands more could die, … Continue reading

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An unlikely friendship – Maureen Dowd and President George Herbert Walker Bush

From the New York Times by Maureen Dowd “Nobody understood our relationship — least of all us. It was, admittedly, odd. “I like you,” the first President Bush wrote me once, after he was out of office. “Please don’t tell … Continue reading

Posted in Essays, Politics | 2 Comments

Conversations to avoid on Thanksgiving

From the NFL to the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, Donald Trump has turned once-neutral topics into a minefield. Our advice? Keep quiet.  One big happy family – just don’t mention the turkey in the room. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Football and … Continue reading

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The 487 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List

 This list in the NYT is only through July 10th so the insults are no doubt well over 500 people, places and things. It’s part of a strategy of keeping Donald Trump’s name in the news while satisfying his urge to … Continue reading

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OPERATION INFEKTION: THE ORIGINS OF FAKE NEWS

This three-part video series explores misinformation campaigns from the days before ‘fake news’ was a sound bite, and how modern-day governments are fighting back—or profiting from the chaos. By Adam B. Ellick, Adam Westbrook for The New York Times Click here to view … Continue reading

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“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism” – Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron denounced nationalism Sunday at a ceremony commemorating the end of World War I, in a pointed rebuke at some world leaders, including President Donald Trump, sitting just feet away. “Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. … Continue reading

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