Newsweek just published a piece that set a record for preposterous ideas, confidently but incoherently argued. Published in Common Dreams (link to article) For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. —Matthew 24:24 Just when you thought the soon-to-expire year had…
Protocols of the Elders of the Republican Party
Lunatic conspiracy theories are the heart and soul of today’s GOP. Published in Common Dreams (link to article) How do the horrific events of Charlottesville, the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and a similar hate crime in California directly relate to the eye-rolling pronouncements by Devin Nunes, Rudy Giuliani, and other Republicans in…
The real ‘deep state’ is about corporate power, not entrenched bureaucrats
This right-wing catchphrase supposedly describes rebellious government workers. But moneyed influencers are the real “deep state.” Publish in the Washington Post November 15, 2019 ( link to article) With impeachment hearings underway, conservatives’ favorite catchphrase, the “deep state,” has gotten a thorough airing. Stephen Miller, the White House’s hard-line immigration adviser, called the Ukraine whistleblower a…
The Man Who Popularized The ‘Deep State’ Doesn’t Like The Way It’s Used
Transcript from NPR news on November 6, 2019 “Link” Mike Lofgren is the very definition of a civil servant. He was a congressional staffer for 28 years, with most of that time spent crunching numbers on the Senate and House budget committees. He’s moderate and mild-mannered, saying, “I was on the Republican side my whole career….
Spare Us From the Vichy Republicans
The party has become a cult run by crooks. Published in Common Dreams (link to article) Item: Bob Livingston. Remember him? When last seen by the wider public in the waning, innocent years of the 20th century, he was the newly minted designee to succeed Newt Gingrich as Republican Speaker of the House. But he abruptly resigned…
When It Comes to Plutocrats Like Epstein and Trump, Always Assume the Worst
In the age of Trump, the wrongdoing has become so blatant, the attitude towards the rest of us so contemptuous, that a presumption of guilt may be the only realistic attitude Published in CommonDreams July 17, 2019 ( link to article) By now, everyone not vacationing in a sensory-deprivation tank knows the outlines of the…
Integralism: The Shiny New Toy of the Right
A dangerous dissatisfaction with American life that borders on clinical paranoia and dictatorship. Published in CommonDreams July 7, 2019 ( link to article) The Next Big Thing in American right-wing circles is integralism, or, in the original French, intégrisme. Founded in early 20th century France, integralism stresses a comprehensively integrated social and political order complete with religious…