Why the U.S. risked a diplomatic row to save Australia from a poor decision. Published Wednesday September 28, 2021 in Washington Monthly Once more obeying the old cliché, the Western alliance is in disarray, this time over Australia’s breaking its contract to buy French submarines in favor of a U.S.-UK proposal. Weapons contract cancellations between…
The Strange Case of Attorney General Merrick Garland
In his brief time in office, he has acted like a partisan Republican. Why? Published Thursday July 22 in Commondreams ( link to article) For those who were looking forward to obtaining transparency for the incompetent negligence, malfeasance, and reckless disregard for the health and safety of the American people that were the hallmarks of Donald…
Want Socialism? Try the US Military
Some of our top brass denounce socialism, but they run the most socialist organization on earth. Published June 10, 2021 in Common Dreams – link to article America’s love affair with lunacy continues undimmed. Along with flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, and fans of perpetual motion, according to a May 21 Ipsos poll, 53 percent of Republicans now assert that…
The Congressman From Hell Is a Symptom of Our Rotten Political System
Decades of disdain for politics as a civic calling means we get the politicians we deserve. Published on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 by Common Dreams Picture a member of congress and what do you see? He’s a guy (those in question are usually still men, despite Marjorie Taylor Greene) with an ego the size of…
Liz Cheney: And Thus, the Revolution Devours Its Children
At some point, the GOP will use bullets rather than ballots. Published on Thursday, May 13, 2021 by Common Dreams ( link to article) On the occasion of her defenestration from the Republican leadership, the mainstream media have discovered a strange new respect for now-former House GOP Conference chair Liz Cheney. Politics makes strange bedfellows, and, indeed,…
Wait, Don’t Tell Me: The Capitol Riot Was Yet Another “Intelligence Failure”
This is Washington’s go-to excuse for basic failures of policy, but we should not tolerate it any longer. Published on Thursday, March 04, 2021 byCommon Dreams In the Senate’s first hearing on the breach of Capitol security by pro-Trump rioters on February 23, it was the consensus of all witnesses that failure to receive appropriate notice…
Let’s End the Damaging Cult of the Constitution
We need a fundamental debate about our flawed and archaic founding document. Published Feb. 24, 2021 in Moyers on Democracy ( link to article) Imagine if the people of Germany’s capital, Berlin, had no representation in the Bundestag. Picture the last presidential election in France resulting in Marine Le Pen defeating Emmanuel Macron while garnering…