Published in the Consortium News ( Link to article) America surely has problems, but the Republican Right tends to ignore its role in causing them and now – under President Obama – exaggerates how bad the situation is, writes former Republican staffer Mike Lofgren. Barton Swaim, former speechwriter for Mark Sanford, the walking governor of…
Trump, Reagan and Fascism: Frank Rich and the Pitfalls of Historical Analogy
Published in the Truthout (Link to article) Donald Trump is greeted by President Ronald Reagan at a 1987 White House reception in Washington, DC. (Photo: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library) Truthout remains a vital counterpoint to the mainstream news. Keep grassroots media thriving, make a tax-deductible donation today! Analogies are one of the most seductive and…
GOP Congress Plays Pentagon Budget Games
Published in the Consortium News (Link to article) Despite a nearly $600 billion military budget, congressional Republicans are demanding even more money for the Pentagon, while rejecting cuts in spending for military bands and resisting emergency funds to fight the Zika virus, notes Mike Lofgren. Our military is falling apart. How do we know this? Because…
Elites vs. Too Much Democracy: Andrew Sullivan’s Afraid of Popular Self-Government
Published in “Moyers and Company” (link to the original article) The trouble with Trump isn’t because of too much democracy; it’s decades of political malfeasance that have made Americans furious. Occupy Wall Street joined with unions during the May Day protests in New York City on May 1, 2016. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) British…
Donald Trump’s Unsurprising Surprise
Published in the Consortiumnews (link to article and comments) Exclusive: Donald Trump’s ascension to the Republican presidential nomination was predictable, paved by years of right-wing fear-mongering and dissemination of anti-knowledge, says former GOP congressional staffer Mike Lofgren. By Mike Lofgren A lot of pundits have egg on their faces. Nate Cohn recently issued a mea culpa in…
Interview with Michael Covel on Trend Following
Posted on May 8, 2016 by Michael Covel – Link to podcast Today, Michael Covel interviews Mike Lofgren. Mike’s new book is titled, “The Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government.” We are in a world where everyone thinks their vote matters and that the next President will fix…
When Donald Trump Makes Sense
Published in the Consortiumnews, (Link to article) The Washington establishment dismisses Donald Trump as a buffoon who doesn’t understand the intricacies of national security policies, but some of his comments underscore how foolish those policies are, writes Mike Lofgren. Despite the fact that modern technological civilization is supposed to be founded on empiricism and rationality,…