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Steven Jonas

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Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, MS is a Professor Emeritus of Preventive Medicine at StonyBrookMedicine (NY). As well as having been a regular political columnist on several national websites for over 20 years, he is the author/co-author/editor/co-editor of 37 books Currently, on the columns side, in addition to his position on OpEdNews as a Trusted Author, he is a regular contributor to From The G-Man.  In the past he has been a contributor to, among other publications, The Greanville PostThe Planetary Movement, and Buzzflash.com.  He was also a triathlete for 37 seasons, doing over 250 multi-sport races.  Among his 37 books (from the late 1970s, mainly in the health, sports, and health care organization fields) are, on politics: The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022; A Futuristic Novel (originally published 1996; the 3rd version was published by Trepper & Katz Impact Books, Punto Press Publishing, 2013, Brewster, NY, sadly beginning to come true, advertised on OpEdNews and available on Amazon); Ending the 'Drug War:' Solving the Drug Problem: The Public Health Approach (Punto Press Publishing, Brewster, NY, 2016, available on Amazon); and Trump's Presidential Years: As They Happened, 2015-2021, in six volumes (219 columns, 315,000 words), also advertised on OpEd News, and available on Kindle@Amazon.com.

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Pope Francis on Trickle Down Economic theory.  Rather different from, say, Sean Hannity's hero Ronald Reagan, wouldn't you say?, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 6, 2014
Pope Francis and Change in the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis is giving considerable agita to likely members of the hypersecretive right-wing Catholic organization called Opus Dei (e.g., Scalia and Thomas see Andy Borowitz on the subject). Here, I review briefly the long history of change in the Roman Catholic Church. I then go on to suggest steps that the Pope, who is moving forward on matters of political economy, might take in dealing with religio-social matters as well.
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Limbaugh, Santorum, Sex, and the Origins of the Roman Catholic Church We all know that Limbaugh, Santorum and a number of other Republicans are just fascinated by sex and also fascinated by how the control of it in its various aspects ("big government," anyone?) can be used for political and governmental purposes. This column looks into an early historical antecedent of that strategy.
Olustee Battlefield State Monument. Do note the flag in the upper right-hand corner of the picture., From ImagesAttr
(12 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The "Irrepressible Conflict" and the Coming Second Civil War Been writing on this subject since the first version of "The 15% Solution" in 1996. Perhaps "prescient," or "delusional." However, it was in 1820 that Thomas Jefferson characterized the Missouri Compromise of 1820 as a "firebell in the night, warning of future bloody conflict." If Jefferson could be 41 years ahead, I guess it's OK for me. Recently I mentioned the thought to an African-American friend, who said, "for sure."
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Gay Marriage and the Constitution There are only two issues to consider here. Both are Constitutional. The first is whether, given the "no religious establishment" clause of the First Amendment, a definition of marriage that is clearly based on religious belief should be granted any recognition under the law. The second is, since each of the 50 states has a large body of civil law concerning marriage, whether or not the "equal protection" clause applies.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 17, 2012
The Republican Party and the Separation of Church and State: Change Does Happen For years progressives in the United States have been stating that the Republicans and their platform simply don't change over time. That back to the time of Reagan and in certain respects back to Hoover and even before him to McKinley, the GOP has been the party of the rich and the Corporate Power. They have also held highly repressive positions on matters of religious liberty. And now a volte face. My-oh-my.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 28, 2012
What the Gunners Want: What's in Rick Perry's Pocket, Unlimited One way to answer is to look at the current list of "gun rights legal actions" being supported by an organization called the "Second Amendment Foundation," an "educational- and legal-defense organization which describes its mission as "promoting a better understanding about our constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms.' " This column briefly examines some of them. The list is revealing.
Who me?  It's not my fault.  It's never my fault. It's ALWAYS the Democrats.  Period., From FlickrPhotos
(36 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 21, 2018
Is There a Slow-Motion Coup Underway? I think that a silent, slowly developing inside coup d'etat has been developing against Trump since before that very revealing (if one read it the right way) Op-Ed from "Anonymous" appeared in the New York Times last fall. I think that the Syria pull-out, most likely the result of a Putin-called card, is the last, or at least one of the last, straws. It will likely come as the result of investigation overload.
Indeed, the progression from Marxism (including,of course, Engels),through Lenin to Stalin., From ImagesAttr
(35 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 4, 2014
If "Stalin = Communism = Bad," Why not "Hitler = Capitalism = Bad?" This column is the beginning of an analysis dealing with the question, "If 'Stalin' 'Stalinism' always and solely equal 'socialism/communism' and then because of that 'socialism/communism' always equals 'bad,' why does not 'Hitler' equals capitalism equals 'bad'?"
Donald Trump.  Ah, the comparisons!, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 20, 2019
Hair Trump or Herr Trump, Revisited Back in the Fall of 2015, as the Presidential primary season was getting into full swing, I wrote a column on him entitled "Hair Trump or Herr Trump." In it, I dealt with the number of fascist tendencies that already seemed to be appearing in Trump's person and politics. As Trump proceeds through his Presidency, I thought it useful to review those projections.
Stay on his policies (and Philip Roth could have written one about him too)., From FlickrPhotos
(20 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 2, 2018
There is no "Middle Ground:" It's Either the Second Civil War or Partition In the face of Trump (not a pleasant sight, either literally or figuratively) major political and academic figures are calling on the nation to "come together." In this column I argue that given the issues on whihc there are major irreconcilable divisions that is impossible. In future columns I will be discussing the two possible outcomes of what I regard as fact: the Second Civil War, or partition, either before or after it
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 7, 2012
I Was Wrong About the Election Outcome, but am I Right About Ohio and an Attempt to Cheat the Vote? What was the thing with Karl Rove and the hold-up of the calling of Ohio for Obama around 11PM on election night that he caused to happen on the Fox"News"Channel? I speculate on that occurence in this column.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Mitt Romney's Issues (that He Doesn't Want Discussed) There are three issues Mitt Romney does not want discussed: what Bain Capital really did, his record as Massachusetts governor, and his Mormonism, especially his conversations with "God" and his position on the Constitutional principle of the separation of church and state. This column goes into these subjects in some detail.
Tiffany Trump.  Just graduated from law school.  The BIG question. Will she end up suing DAD?, From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 28, 2020
Why Trump Wants to Still be President at 12:01PM on Jan. 20, 2021 --- His Personal Reasons Trump is a life-long loser (see my OEN column: "Trump-loser"). He knows, for example, that he didn't fairly win in 2016, but rather did it with Russian help. Therefore he is desperate to win again in 2020, and then, to show that he really did, he will become Dictator. But that will still not make him feel right, because that can happen only with massive Trumpublican(C) cheating. And thus he will still bear the label loser.
Diagram of political triangulation -- totally impossible., From WikimediaPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 20, 2017
Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Mythical "Middle Ground" The Democratic Party will always be part of this country's Ruling Duopoly. But that does not mean that they have to give way to the Republicans on every single issue for which there is no middle ground.
ADOLF HITLER, with Goering. Obviously smiling about how they used the Reichstag Fire to gain the Enabling Act., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 2, 2018
The German Enabling Act of 1933 and the USA Enabling Decision of 2018 In my view, the outcomes of the majority decision in the recently decided "Muslim Ban" case "Trump v. Hawaii," will in time come to be seen as the "USA Enabling Decision," in function much like the Nazi German Enabling Act of 1933.
Yes, golf can be revealing., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 27, 2019
Donald Trump: Loser As the golf-writer Rick Reilly says in the title of his book about Trump and golf: "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump." And that is what this column is about.
Confederate States of America battle flag. It replaced the original CSA flag which to many .looked too much like. the Union Jack., From FlickrPhotos
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 30, 2018
The South Won the First Civil War --- Betcha Didn't Know That With the victory of Hyde-White, a woman who made abundantly clear that she is a White Supremacist, harking back to both Jim Crow (lynchings) and the Confederacy (wanting to name a highway after Jeff Davis), in the Mississippi Senate election, I thought to revisit a theme on which I have written periodically: How the South Won the Civil War. And so, here 'tis that column.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 26, 2011
Welcome to the "Christian Nation" The "Christian Nation" folks, led by David Barton and Phyllis Schlafley among others, are once again in full stride with the GOP takeover of the House of Representatives plus a number of State Houses and state governorships. They claim that the "Founding Fathers" were really "Christians" who wanted to set up a "Christian Nation," that the intent to do so can be found in the Declaration of Independence and, if you read it rea
National Socialist League 1975. So, you thought that U.S. Nazism was just pre-WWII?, From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Republo-Fascism and Trump: A Brief Review of SJ Columns on the Subject An increasing number of warnings are coming on the increasing dangers to the Republic and its Constitutional structure presented by Donald Trump and the the Republican Party. A recent one coming from the pen of the former "Neo-Con" Robert Kagan has attracted much attention. This column of mine presents a brief review of columns that I have been writing on Trump, the Republicans, and the fascist threat since 2015.
Pete Seeger @ Newport Folk Festival 2009: Still in his heyday, even after all of the years (and I first heard him at New York City's Carnegie Hall sometime in the late 1940s)., From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 29, 2014
Pete Seeger and the Blacklist Lots was written about Pete Seeger after his passing last January. Indeed he was an icon of the US folk music movement, going back to his early workmwith Woody Guthrie. But he was iconic in US history too, for another reason: how he fought and overcame the infamous McCarthyite "blacklist" of the 1950s. And that's what this column is about.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Why Creationism? During the last election we were treated to a speech by a GOP member of the House Science Committee, Paul Broun of Georgia, in which he dismissed evolution, the Big Bang theory, and embryology as "lies straight from the pit of hell." There are of course many U.S. citizens who are not members of the House Science Committee who also believe that the Creation story in the book of Genesis is true. Here we explore why that is so.
Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The 75 Years War Against the Soviet Union, Part 2 This is Part 2 of the series that briefly describes the components of The 75 Years War Against the Soviet Union. That War, occasionally "hot" but mostly "cold," eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet state.
(32 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 10, 2011
Vengeance is Mine, Saith the Lord There is a lot of God-talk going on in our country all the time, especially on the Right. You know, God did this or that to punish us for this or that. So a while back, I decided to have a talk with God myself, to find out what his/her/it real concerns were with actions the US of A is, or is not, undertaking, and catastrophic events occurring here and in other countries. This column is a report of that conversation.
Donald Trump in Reno, Nevada.  'Nuff said., From FlickrPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 7, 2017
"The Star-Spangled Banner and What It Truly Stands For" Colin Kaepernick and his colleagues: what do they, and the U.S. National Anthem, really stand for; the true meaning "freedom." And what Donald Trump really stands for: it ain't that.
Fascism is so 1930s.  One can only wish that this saying were true. It isn't., From FlickrPhotos
(48 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Trump and the War on the Media: On the road to Fascism Trump's attacks on the media are getting evermore virulent. Much is known and has been written about the "what." Not too much about the "why." It's not because Trump is a nut, an ego-maniac. Yes, he is, but the primary reason for the media-assault is to help pave the way for the establishment of a 21st-century form of fascism in the U.S. The media is the last major institution standing in the Trumpites' way.
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, April 10, 2011
It's Time to "Whig" It Desperately needed now, if Constitutional Democracy, as defined by the Preamble to that great document and the Bill of Rights, is to be maintained, indeed restored in the United States, and if a Second Civil War is to be prevented, is a new party, not a traditional third party, but a Progressive Democratic Party, split from the Democratic Party, with elected officials in the leadership.
Petrozavodsk Lenin Statue, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 10, 2017
The 75 Years War Against the Soviet Union, Part 1 The 75 years of the existence of the Soviet Union was paralleled by the little recognized but very real "75 Years War Against the Soviet Union." This column is the first of a two part series introducing the history of that that conflict.
Panorama Bitwy Stalingradzkiej, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 11, 2015
The Soviet Union, Propaganda, and World War II For the propagandists and the propaganda analysts, "our" propaganda is always "good" (actually is not "propaganda," per se) and "theirs" is always "bad." It has been widely noted the Western imperialist nations, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, very publicly dissed Russia on the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. This column discusses the "whys" for the "dissing."
Donald Trump Campaign and Mr. Papadopoulos.  Hey, you never know., From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Trump in Trouble: Circling the Wagons. Why now?" Trump has been in trouble ever since the FBI began looking into possible ties between his campaign and Russian interests in the summer of 2016. We all know the gathering storm of evidence of cooperation or attempted cooperation between the Campaign and Russian interests. (Other crimes, like money-laundering and obstruct. of justice could be on his legal agenda as well.) But what's going to get him? Why the Repub. ruling class.
From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 28, 2016
Mike Pence Dominionist: The Next President of the United States? Pence had thought about running for the current Repub. nomination in 2015. After that didn't pan out for him he was actually an early Cruz supporter, who then switched to Trump when the former dropped out. As far as I can tell, he has not yet been openly labeled as a Dominionist, but his policies clearly place him in that camp.
Mein Kampf, by Hitler, which means .My Struggle. in English.  Sound familiar?, From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 4, 2018
21st Century Fascism: Trump Style -- Part I This is the first of what will be a 3 part series on 21st century fascism --- how it is similar to and how it differs from --- classic 20th century fascism. This part deals with definitions, Part 2 with the functional 21st century Republican/Trumpite fascism. Part 3 will offer some thoughts on the developing Anti-fascist Resistance and the political/theoretical problems it faces.
Mein Kampf, by Hitler, which means .My Struggle. in English.  Sound familiar?, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, February 6, 2018
21st Century Trumpite Fascism, the Previously Published Parts 1-4, Plus a New Introduction In my view, the United States is on the cusp of going beyond functional fascism to the real thing, now. It remains to be seen who will come to the defense of the bourgeois democracy now governing the US. It is a full-blown fascism, of the 21st century variety, that the Trumpites would very much like to impose on the US. Here I am re-publishing, with a new Introduction, my recent four-part series on the Trumpites and Fascism.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 5, 2012
Obama in the First Debate: Terrible Performance or Political Rope-a-Dope? The general consensus from the right, left and middle (as those terms are defined in the U.S., not world, sense) was that Obama really messed up in the first 2012 Presidential debate. After all, Romney lied and uttered falsehoods about his positions and the President's and his own records, all over the place. Why didn't he go after Mittens? Perhaps because set up a rope-a-dope trap.
Mike Huckabee, with Marco Rubio (below), expressing their silly views on social violence in America., From YouTubeVideos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 15, 2015
A Set of Tweets, Over Time I post tweets on occasion, at the The Political Junkies tweet site. Since I am not limited to 118 characters after the URL (and I always start with a URL), I have edited them to make them more readable. Also, if anyone can explain to me how any URL is made by Twitter to fit into 22-24 characters, I would be very happy to know that.
Instruments used during the clandestine fight against the fascism.  If we don't stop it in time, we are going to need these., From FlickrPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Trumpite Functional Fascism: On the March I have previously described Trumpite 21st century "functional fascism." Now, Trump is moving to add two traditional features of 20th century fascism: a government of yes-men and a steady involvement in foreign wars. That's what this coumn is about.
Magic morning.  Well in the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (which term also includes us), not so magic. (Explore 2014-09-04), From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 5, 2014
The Origin of the Self-Destructive Species (with apologies to Charles Darwin) Ever wonder why ours is one of the very few species that kills fellow members (in ever-increasing numbers too)? Well, here are some thoughts on that subject, stimulated by seeing the movie "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes."
Boehner Giving Bibi Kissy Face: What could illustrate the GOP/Likud Alliance better?, From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 15, 2015
The Iran Deal: Who is against it, who is for it, Why, and What Happens if it's Killed Ah yes, "the Iran Deal," which isn't actually a deal yet, but rather an apparently very detailed framework for one. Now we all know who the opponents are. The GOP/Likud Alliance lined up very clearly towards the end of the negotiations totally against (without any subsitute proposal, of course. But that's just a detail, isn't it?) Anyway, there are a variety of interests for it too, as I discuss in this column.
Rocky Mountain High Colorado, From FlickrPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 5, 2017
LGBT Rights and Religious Freedom The underlying issue in the "Cake Baker's Discrimination" case is whether the State can protect, from the consequences of the law, one religious view as against another.
.And I still want the job --- permanently.., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Trump. The Art of the Con: Is There a Method to His Madness? A variety of words have been used to describe Donald Trump and Trump's White House/Presidency. They are being used with increasing frequency as various "inside the White House" books, like those of Bob Woodward and Michael Wolff, and "pretty close to Trump" books, have come out. Among them are "deranged," "chaotic," "unhinged," "crazy," "bordering on senile," and "mad." I think quite the opposite, and this column explains why
Why everyone should be wearing one (a mask, that is)., From WikimediaPhotos
(43 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 18, 2020
Trump's Warriors, His Magical Thinking (further), and 'Tulsa' Trump simply cannot understand the nature of COVID-19 as a viral disease, how it infects people, how it is transmitted, thus how it spreads in a population, and so on and so forth. But he views "his people" as "warriors" in the fight against the pandemic, as if the virus were human. This sort of thinking has led to policies that not only don't control the disease, but actually help spread it. Which leads us to "Tulsa."
Trump protest against fascism, From WikimediaPhotos
(21 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 23, 2017
Why They Are Coming for the Immigrants" Many in the U.S. are already waking up to the danger. Many more will have to do so, and maintain the energy and drive, if the progression of Trumpism to full-blown fascism is to be prevented.
The Dastardly Duo. Mitch always laughs when he wins (which is often).  But Trump somehow can never stop whining., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 13, 2020
What Might a Second Trump Term Look Like? It Will Not be Fun, Folks This column is about what a second Trump Administration might very well look like. Given what he and Barr have already done to the Justice Department, making it into the "Justice Department," unfortunately this view is probably not too far off overall, if not in every detail.
Behind the Scenes: Secretary Clinton Arrives in Goma.  So what was really going on behind the scenes in your pvt. accts., Madam Secretary?, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 10, 2015
The Role of Chance in History: Hillary is Toast Hillary + private email account(s) plus the now never-ending barrage from the Repubs., the Propaganda Channel, and some Democrats too, leads to toast, well-done.
Trump. Ah but what?  Well, RT knows., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 25, 2017
The Rightward Imperative, the Republican Party, and Trump Trump's racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, xenophobia and homophobia: anything new for a Republican? No, not in terms of policy. But the attempts have always been made to cover these things up. The strategy/tactic goes back 50 years, under the hood of the "Rightward Imperative." Trump has just undressed Repub. doctrine in public, taken the hood off as it were, bringing it all out into the open.
William Barr: Why is this man smiling?, From FlickrPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 25, 2019
Katy Barr the Door* As is widely known, Donald J. Trump hired William Barr as his personal lawyer inside the Justice Department (oops, Attorney General) for one reason only: to try to shut down the Mueller investigation entirely and prevent any of it from reaching the light of day. Lacking that, Barr's assignment was a) to short circuit it to the extent possible and b) to make as light of the findings as possible. This column goes on from there.
The  Charlottesville Terrorist, aka the Pittsburgh Terrorist; aka the El Paso Terrorist, aka White Supremacist-in-Chief., From FlickrPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Rohn Kenyatta's '10 Questions:' A Response Recently Rohn Kenyatta, an astute chronicler of race relations and racism and related matters in the United States and for its history published a column on the pages of OpEdNews which raised ten questions about those matters and related policy issues. In a direct communication with Mr. Kenyatta I posed answers to his ten questions. In this column I am bringing that communication to the whole readership of OpEdNews.
Vanishing Freedmen's Town, Houston, Texas: formerly Jim Crow housing.  But of course, residential segregation still exists, both in the South and elsewhere., From FlickrPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 17, 2018
What the U.S. Ruling Class and the Repubs. are Most Afraid Of Voting Rights and their restriction have become a major target of the Republican Party and the major sector of the ruling class they represent. This column discusses the reason for that state of affairs.
The 'Ukraine' throughout its history was a russian Glacis-Protectorate, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 19, 2014
Ukraine: A Clash of Capitalisms I have to say that the title of this column says what the battle over Ukraine is really about.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 12, 2013
What's Going On in Egypt (I Think): Lessons for the US There are multiple interpretations of what is going on in Egypt, but most leave out the (sub-Saharan, to be sure) elephant in the room: the Egyptian ruling class. Unlike the ruling class in the US, they for most part want to have nothing to do with theocracy, a major element in their overthrow of the elected government. In the US, of course, the ruling class' party is more and more dominated by theocrats. Pay heed to that.
Scalia Dissent.  The applesauce didn't taste good.  It just wasn't original enough for him., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Justice Scalia, Judge Moore, the Constitution, and "Originalism" Justice Scalia and Judge Roy Moore both try to cloak themselves in the Constitutional doctrine of "originalism." This column removes the cloak.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 9, 2019
The Reichstag Fire, the "Border Crisis" and the Establishment of Dictatorship Goering's men set the Reichstag Fire to give Hitler the pretext for declaring a national emergency and demanding the creation of the Enabling Act, which gave him dictatorial power. Trump's ultimate goal in declaring a "border crisis" --- when his "Wall" solution to it, which would take years to build ---tells us that there is none, may well be the establishment of a dictatorship.
Golden Dawn demonstration of the Greek Fascists. What? You think it can't happen here? Except they will be called .Republicans.., From WikimediaPhotos
(14 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 8, 2021
The Oncoming Freight Train of the Republo-Fascist Party: With a Disposable Headlamp Named Donald J. Trump There is increasing concern on the part of such authorities as the former Republican Steve Schmidt, that his former party is being led in the direction of fascism by the former President, Donald Trump. This column recognizes that Trump is a modern fascist (a subject that I have written on many times in this space). But it goes on to document that the movement to convert the GOP to a modern fascist party goes back in time.
Donald Trump at Hershey PA on 12/15/2016, From GoogleImages
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Trump and His Base As Trump lurches from, what appear to the outside world as, disaster to disaster, "Trump's Base," for the most part appears to remain immovable in its continuing support of him. A whole variety of episodes/policies would seem to be cause for at least some of that base's members abandoning him. So why? Why does his base seem to remain solidly behind him? This column poses one answer to that question.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 20, 2013
On "42:" A Movie About Racism At one level, the movie 42, about Jackie Robinson, is a "baseball movie." But to my mind much more importantly, it's a movie about racism in the United States. Since our nation is still so heavily burdened with this way of thinking, engineered and promoted by the corporate and political interests which it serves, I regard it as an important statement and lesson for the present, as well as very well done history.
The Marlboro Man's Killer.  (Actually, there were five of them who died of smoking-related disease.), From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Smoking and Health, and Death. And You're worried about the illicits? This year marks the 50th anniversary of the original "Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health." And cigarette smoking is still one of the top killers, not only in this country, but also around the world. Prohibtion, anyone? Nah. Let's leave that for the Recreational Mood Altering drugs that kill a tiny percentage of that killed by cigarette smoking, not only among smokers, but, second-hand, among non-smokers as well.
Bibi wins..., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 20, 2015
Likud, the Repubs, and their Respective Class Interests Straying far from its original roots with a major emphasis on Zionist socialism, Israel has become a nation that economically mimics the United States in many ways. There is an increasing disparity in income and wealth and its economy is increasingly dominated by a military-industrial complex.
Robert Mueller - Great investigator; Lousy witness., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 19, 2019
The Mueller Report and The Third Article of Impeachment that Might Have Been Bob Mueller's testimony on his Report. Muddied (and that's putting it kindly) up front by Barr, and then de-fanged by Mueller's oh-so-laconic style of testifying. Monosyllabic is a good word for it. But then when one focuses on the questions to which those very brief (to be kind once again) answers were given, a very different picture of Mueller's day before Congress does emerge.
Honor Bike, From FlickrPhotos
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, December 5, 2018
The Bushes and "Honor" With the passing of George H.W. Bush, there has been a lot of talk about him and "honor." "Except for the 'Willy Horton' ad," and perhaps one or two other things here and there, folks say, he was an "honorable man." And certainly, folks say, he came from, and bequeathed to us, an honorable family. Well, in this column we'll take a look at those propositions, and readers can make up their own minds.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a next-gen politician, in more ways than one., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Why do the Republicans Stick with Trump, II? This is the 2nd column I have written on why the Trumpublicans(tm) are Trumpublicans(tm). In the first, several weeks ago, I speculated that it has to do with the 2020 election. Now, as the true fascism of Trump's border policy is being revealed to the world, I have come to be believe that the Trumpublicans (tm) are fully buying into Trump's fascism (which, by they way, I define, unlike numbers of other users of the term).
Ruined Kiev in WWII. Ukrainians fought on both sides in this one, and so do they now., From WikimediaPhotos
(45 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 22, 2022
Ukraine: Why is the War Continuing? There is responsibility on both Sides The U.S. Left has been split on the Russia-Ukraine War. My previous columns have been highly critical of Putin (although taking a different position from the standard "NATO-made-him-do-it" stance of many Leftists). On the other hand, many other Leftists have taken a "Nazis run Ukraine and are totally responsible position." In this column, I review those positions, but then raise questions about Zelensky and his politics.
The  Charlottesville Terrorist, aka the Pittsburgh Terrorist; aka the El Paso Terrorist, aka White Supremacist-in-Chief., From FlickrPhotos
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 6, 2018
On the Brink of Fascism in the U.S.: The Role of the Ruling Class, Part 2 As I said in the Introduction to Part 1 of this series, as he feels the walls closing around him, Trump moves closer to establishing a 21st cent. version of fascism. The political-economic system we know as fascism is put in place by a capitalist ruling class that feels its political control slipping. This column is the second of a two-parter on how fascism might come to the U.S., courtesy of a wing of the U.S. ruling class.
The International Jew by Henry Ford.  .Dual Loyalty. writ large, by one of the leading U.S. anti-Semites in the 1930.  Ford published columns in the leading Nazi newspapers, and Hitler published columns in Ford's., From FlickrPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 29, 2019
Jews for Hitler --- Yes There Were Some Jews for Hitler? You must be kidding." That's a question that I have come across on a number of occasions as I have studied the history of Nazi Germany over a period of many years. And yes, indeed, there were Jews for Hitler. There were not too many of them. This column is about them, and about the parallel Jews for You-Know-Who in the United States, at the present time.
It's not this Hindenburg disaster we're thinking about., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 3, 2019
Trumpite Fascism: From Jan. 21, 2021: How the Nation Could Get There and a Brief Glimpse of What Would be Waiting for It Hitler's takeover in the beginning was facilitated by leaders of the German Right-wing. The same thing is happening here. This column is about those processes and what, very briefly, the country would look like were Trump to win in 2020. This is a topic to which I will be returning periodically, I'm sure.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 13, 2017
Trump, Bannon, Poland, and 'The Triumph of Will" Introduction: Trump's choice of Poland as the country in which he would make his one speech outside of the recent G-20 meeting was highly symbolic. The content of the speech, especially with its stress on the concept of "The Will," was too. That's what this column is about.
A Union Pacific train, pulled by one of the last steam locomotives. The UP was the first completed trans-continental railroad; a product of the Whig-component of the then-new Republican Party. It doesn't do this sort of thing anymore., From WikimediaPhotos
(17 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 15, 2021
The Republo-Fascist Freight Train is Indeed Roaring Down the Track: What Do We Do Now? This column elaborates further on the themes of its immediate predecessor in this space, in particular focusing on responding-to/commenting-on the excellent comments that were offered on that particular column, which is entitled: "The Oncoming Freight Train of the Republo-Fascist Party: With a Disposable Headlamp Named Donald J. Trump".
.Iran wants war..  Couldn't have said it better myself!, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 3, 2020
Trump Transactionalism Writ Large: The Soleimani Assassination and the Letter "U" The Soleimani assassination, and its associated Trump-crisis, with no plans/strategy for any follow-up or how to deal with the likely consequences, has nothing to do with Iran, Iraq, or even Soleimani. It all has to do with one word, a word that beings with the letter "U." And that's what ht is column is about.
It can't happen here by Sinclair Lewis-- first edition, 1936, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 10, 2018
21st Century Fascism: Trump Style -- Part II This is the second part of a three-part series on 21st century fascism, what I call "functional fascism," Trump/Republican style. The first part was concerned with definitions of "fascism." This part focuses on the characteristics of Trump/Republican-style fascism in the 21st century.
Time Magazine's Trump Cover with Hitler's features superimposed., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 5, 2015
Hair Trump or Herr Trump? Trump has in the past been rather a liberal, endorsing a single-payor health care payment system, freedom of choice in the outcome of pregnancy, a friend of the Clintons, and certainly not until 2012 an outspoken Republican. Does Trump equal Hitler? Remember that international events always play a big role in how the plutocracy plays its cards at home.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
From flickr.com: Karl Marx by Robert Diedrichs, 1970. Courtesy WikiCommons. He explained it all; still the best one we h, From Images
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 30, 2017
The Triumph of Capitalism and the Rise of the Radical Right Capitalism rises from height to height, for the capitalists. The anti-capitalist Left has all but disappeared in most capitalist countries. And so, where do some of the ever-left behind workers go? To the Right, of course.
But not for the Capitalists.  For them it's making profit, lots of it., From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Golden Age of US Capitalism Capitalism is working very well --- for the capitalists. A quote from the great Senator Bernie Sanders illustrates that truth. That is what this column is about.
Bill & Hillary Clinton - The Force Awakened in the 1980s.  It has finally gone back to sleep., From FlickrPhotos
(14 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 14, 2020
How Do You Spell 'Democratic Party' in 2020? Without the Letters C-L-I-N-T-O-N in the Name The Center-Right Democratic Leadership Council, originally founded by Bill Clinton and Al Gore in the 1980s, has dominated the Party from then until after Hillary Clinton's 2016 defeat. The Party now has a moderately progressive platform (with much input from the "Bernie Wing" of the Party), and a candidate who is rapidly becoming moderately progressive himself. This column is about the Clintons and what they did over time.
-WHO EN 3 Working Together 03Mar2021.webm..Working together.. What a concept!, From WikimediaPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 28, 2021
COVID-19, China, the CDC, and Trumpist Politics/Policies Again, the question of whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which came from China, got into the human population from an animal interaction or through a leak-from-a-lab has come to the fore. If the latter, Trumpites claim that that relieves Trump of any responsibility for the U.S. pandemic. There is also now the charge that it wasn't Trump who caused the pandemic in the U.S., but it was the CDC that was at fault. That is debunked.
Tucker Carlson - Hoaxer-in-Chief (sorry, Sean), From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 14, 2019
The Doctrine of White Supremacy --- and the Hoaxer Tucker Carlson The Doctrine White Supremacy, clearly defined in this column by Alexander Stephens, 1st V-P of the CSA, was invented in the 17th century to justify the enslavement of Africans, an historical fact with which Tucker Carlson is obviously unfamiliar. "Hoax" is a word the definition of which is also unfamiliar to Carlson. In this column the definition of "hoax" is presented and the history of White Supremacy Doctrine is discussed.
Micah Xavier Johnson: the much vilified shooter in Dallas, especially by the sanctimonious liberal punditocracy. Johnson pulled the trigger, but despicable, entrenched injustice loaded the gun. As injustice and inequality become bolder, expect more Johnso, From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 15, 2016
The Civil War Has Never Ended: It's Just Continued on in a Different Form, and on a Class Basis The Doctrine of White Supremacy, in place since the time of Slavery, has been significantly employed by the national ruling class, as it has evolved in this country, in order to maintain and expand its dominance of the political economy. There is continued and unending violence employed against the African-American community, which extends from random and arbitrary police violence against black Americans.
Yokozuna Trump vs. The RNC (No further comment needed.), From FlickrPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 1, 2022
Election Denialism, Anti-(you fill in the blank), and the Future of the Republican Party As the title of this column says, the Republican Party is getting closer-and-closer to being a Party running on just two issues: "Election Denial" and Anti-(You-Fill-in-the-Blank). And that's what this column is about.
Covid-19-curves-graphic-social -v3. What an active, scientific, public health approach to an impending epidemic can accomplish., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 17, 2020
An Ounce of Prevention --- and Trump Could Have Been on a Glide-path the Re-election If Trump had been able to recognize the impending COVID-19 epidemic for what it might become, and had then been able to order the early initiation of the public health/prevention program that could have been put in place to alleviate its predictable severity, in terms of the health of the nation and the economy, he would have become a public health hero,on a glide path to re-election. Obviously that didn't happen. Here's why.
Trump: Oh those meetings!, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 14, 2019
Let's Take Trump at his Word: "It's a Hoax and a Witch-hunt;" What Then? OK, Mr. Trump. Let's say that there is no truth in any of the charges, indictments, guilty-pleas, and criminal convictions which have been brought against you (for you it is just charges, indirectly so far) and members of your administration and campaign team. Just how you would intend to go about showing how the following items comprise a "hoax" and a "witch-hunt." Surely you can do it, with ease, can't you?
Stephen Miller: Gosh, and he looks so bland. Well, appearances can be deceiving after all., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 23, 2019
A Brief History --- Xenophobia, Racism, and the Republican Party Donald Trump is a racist/xenophobe. But the only difference between him and many others in his, now Trumpublican (tm), party, back to its founding, is that he is quite open about it. This column delves briefly into that history.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Trumpism and the Ruling Class: Will the U.S. Ever Recover? Major, draconian, cuts to health social services for the poor and presently not-so-poor are coming via the Trump Budget (which will be passed by the Republican congress in one form or another). There will be long-term consequences (like otherwise unnecessary deaths) which will be very hard to reverse down the road. Eventually, unrest will arise, and then . . .
Trump (in summary), From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 23, 2018
The Art of the Con: Failure 1 and the Further Turn Towards Fascism Trump has been characterized as history's greatest con man. Until now, he has always won, or being able to characterize each of his many real losses as "wins," at least been able to make it seem that way. But now, in an off-year election which he was able to make into a referendum about himself, in terms of the total popular vote and control of the House, he has lost. This column is about how he is reacting to that reality.
1970's inventions that changed our way of life.  When you enter .Carter Page. into a common image search engine, this is one of the choices you get.  But no image of him., From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 3, 2018
The Centrality of Carter Page and the Trump/Russia Connection Carter Page's name doesn't come up much in the mainstream media's coverage of Trump/Russia and the Mueller investigation. Yet Sean Hannity and others on the Right go out of their way to try to discredit in advance any findings on him, based on their falsification of the basis of the "FISA warrant." This column is about just why they would be doing that.
Elephant at National Museum of Natural History: Will the GOP elephant be there someday too?, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The Republican Party and the Affordable Care Act This column, originally written on 11/14/13, presents some of the history of the relationship between the GOP and national health ins. over time, and of the very bad attempts at promotng their respective plans made by Pres's. Clinton and Obama. It concluded with some speculation on site hacking that perhaps took place. This version adds important policy commentary by Norman Solomon, and some heft to the hacking speculation.
Can you imagine? A Bush would have been better?  (except, of course, we would never have known how bad Trump would be.), From WikimediaPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 23, 2020
Trump, Testing, and His Magical Thinking Trump has gotten through life using a box of magic tricks: his father's money, "Always Attack; Never Defend; "Just sue, as needed;" never be responsible to anybody; being surrounded by enemies, don't negotiate, just crush them; as History's Greatest Con Man, just use that bag of tricks. But, his enemies have always been people. This time it's a virus. The old magic doesn't work. So he has come up with something new.
Ze'ev Jabotinsky: the founder of the Zionist/Expulsionist movement(1920s), From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 28, 2023
The Current Israeli Constitutional Crisis: What it is Really About In Israel there is currently a Constitutional crisis about the power of the Supreme Court in the Israeli government. On the surface, this conflict seems to be about Bibi Netanyahu and certain crimes he may have committed. It's not. It's rather about whether the current right- wing government will be able to institute the long-standing right-wing policy for the expulsion of the Palestinian Arabs from the Occupied Territories.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 9, 2012
Chick-fil-A, the Party of Hate, and the 2016 GOP Presidential Nomination Remember when the name "Chick-fil-A" was all the rage in national politics? Why it was only about a month ago, not that you would know it now, with the national party conventions underway. But given what came out of the Republican Convention, both in its platform and certain choice words that emanated from one speaker after another, the Chick-fil-A thing is worth a re-visit. It truly symbolizes what GOP politics has become.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 25, 2012
Netanyahu's and AIPAC's Iran War-- Is It Really a War Against Obama and Democrats? Ever wonder why the Israeli Right and their AIPAC/GOP US allies are making such a thing about the Iran-bomb and a potential bombing of Iran, with or without US support? Analyzing the alternatives and the possible outcomes of such an attack (in violation of the UN Charter and thus Article VI of the US Constitution, but no one on the Right cares about those considerations), one comes to a very interesting conclusion.
Az elnök emberei.  Sorry, I do not know the language, but this is a good image of Dick Cheney, a man who has always spent part of his in the shadows.  And anyway, every other critical column on him features one of those carictatures that make him so (app, From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 7, 2014
The Significance of Dick Cheney, Part I A while back I did yet another of my columns on Dick Cheney, when he had made another one of his periodic reapparances from the Cheneycave, this time to take on Obama on Ukraine. Since Obama has taken such a tough stand on Ukraine, making sure, for example, that there are no negotiations over the possibility of Federal status for the Eastern provinces, Cheney has been eerily silent. This is the first of two-parter on the man
BOK Center, Tulsa, OK. It's a beautiful building on the outside, designed by a famous architect, Cesar Pelli.  Inside, for Trump, not-so-good., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Trump Quits (Could it Be?)" Trump is a lifetime loser, as illustrated in previous columns of mine. Trump thought he was going to kick off his run for reelection in Tulsa bigly. But, it was a lousy start. The polls are running against him. He is out-of-control of each of the Three Major Crises facing our nation: the Pandemic, the next Great Depression, and the Campaign for the End to Institutional Racism. My guess about what he will do? Quit, all 'round.
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Airbrushing Bush, and Why The GOP establishment is terrified of something. GWB's book comes out at a particular time. The way he is being treated in the media to which he is giving access appears in the Commentary's title. My thought on just why this is all happening now appears at the end.
Saddam Hussein listens to charges during the kangaroo court proceedings in October of 2006. Saddam may not have been a cuddly guy, but a lot of people who sent him to the gallows are guilty of even worse crimes., From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 30, 2015
The Modern Middle East Imperialist War III: What's it All About The United States is now in the midst of MMEI No. III. This one is rather more complicated, and not easy to figure out, since there seem to be so many sides involved, with shifting alliances, sometimes from month-to-month. this multi-pronged, multi-front battle has at its center Iran and the hatred of key Arab states and Turkey for it.
Bernie Sanders 1959 High School Yearbook. Back then he was a good-looking Jewish kid, a middle-distance track star, from James Madison High in Brooklyn., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 28, 2020
Advice to Bernie: Always Attack, Never Defend This column contains some advice for Bernie, both for the primaries and for the general election. I doubt that it will ever get to his campaign staff, and if it does, the chances that it will be read are low. But I have had fun putting it together anyway.
A-Bomb Dome, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 7, 2017
Korea --- A Settlement? Very Possible, Highly Unlikely, But --- North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons and its right to maintain them, indefinitely. They are its one ironclad guarantee against U.S.-sponsored "regime change" (at which the U.s. has had so much practice, beginning with --- wait for it --- Korea). So what might a settlement look like and how might it actually come about?
Trumped, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 28, 2017
Is Trump Crazy? Personality disorder? Or crazy like a fox? Trump. Why he does what he does. All part of a plan, and he does have a set of policies --- really. As for Roy Moore , he does too. Outside of the Republican "mainstream?" Well, that stream has been moving to the Right (facing downstream) for years. Indeed, it moves with the force of the Republican Right-wing Imperative, of which Moore is the latest product. And believe me, Trump will be just fine with it.
Pall Mall East, London - Statue of George III. Now, if Trump could only ride a horse., From FlickrPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 11, 2019
On the Road to Dictatorship The central principle of U.S. Constitutional Government is the Separation of Powers. This was established in response to the previous concentration of powers in the hands of the English King George III. This is the principle that Donald Trump would clearly like to destroy. He's not there yet, but he is clearly getting closer to achieving his goal. This column discusses the history.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence, From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 3, 2015
Indiana, Religious Liberty, and Religious War To permit one person or business to claim exemption from having to abide by the protections of the 14th Amendment based on their religious belief, as against another's religious belief, places the discriminator's religious belief on a higher level, gives it more value, than the religious belief of the person discriminated against.
2017-05-24_17-18-07_ILCE-6500_ DSC00561 , From FlickrPhotos
(24 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Trump: The 'Peace' Candidate Trump the "peace" candidate? I don't think so (and actually never have). Now, with his re-affirmation of NATO Article 5 and anti-Russian statements coming from members of his Administration, the U.S. is moving rapidly back towards its original Russia policy.
Capitol Hill Protest Sign on Lamp Post.  The Trumpites knew exactly whom they were choosing.  And so did Susan Collins., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 15, 2019
Abortion Rights and Religious Authoritarianism For quite some time, I have been writing on the necessity of moving the struggle to maintain abortion rights beyond the "woman's rights to choose" to the struggle to maintain the essential U.S. right of religious freedom. I certainly believe in any woman's right to choose but I also believe that over time it is becoming a losing argument. The basic struggle is over religious freedom. And that is what this column is about.
Trump Threat.  Yes, this is fascism, folks., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 20, 2020
Trumpite Fascism: A view from 2016 Since McConnell and the Trumpublicans in the Senate refused to try Trump on the impeachment charges carefully assembled by the House, Trump has been unleashed. The nation is a step or two closer to the imposition of outright fascism. This column takes a look at what I and others were saying about Trumpite fascism before the 2016 election, put into the current context. To put it all into the vernacular, it's scary, folks.
Infektionsschutzzentrum im Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum. Actually the Germans began wide-spread testing  in early February, using a German-developed, easy-to-use-quick-results test. The WHO offered it to Trump. He turned it down, losing about a month on the, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, May 2, 2020
Trump's Magical Thinking Pt. 3: 'There Shall be No National Testing Program --- and the Virus Will Magically Go Away' This is the 3rd column on Trump's Magical Thinking. Beginning in childhood, it has propelled this ignorant, unintelligent, and poorly educated man to where he now sits. Trump has lived a life of enemies. They have always been people. The Magic Tricks he used to defeat them and move forward has been the subject of the previous columns. This one focuses on a new trick, designed to make the pandemic go away (in his mind).
President Trump's Trip Abroad: Well there's one wall he likes., From FlickrPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 21, 2019
It's Not About the Wall The "Wall" is not about a Wall along the Mexican-U.S. border per se. It's all about a) political symbolism for Trump and the Trumpites and b) the means, through the "national emergency," to intensify Trump's drive towards effective dictatorship.
Roman Empire Trajan 117AD.  So, you think that the idea is new, huh?, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 5, 2020
Is the UK Tabloid Racist Hounding of Meghan Markle Just a Murdoch Diversion to Allow the Tories to Seize More Power? There has been a long battle over the UK remaining in the EU: "Brexit." The right-wing British tabloids have been roaring for Brexit. After a recent Parliamentary election produced a large Right-Wing "Tory" majority "Leave" is done. They are now using their majority to make major changes in the UK Constitution. The tabloids have been roaring even more loudly about Meghan and Harry, driving them out of the country: it's a cover
Brighton (England) Gay Pride Parade, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Political Homophobia: Russia, America, and Germany Russia now has a national law that bans the spreading of "information about non-traditional sexual behavior" to persons under 18. The law is based on legislation that was originally adopted in St. Petersburg under the sponsorship of its Mayor, one Vitaly Milonov. The law is of course based on totally false premises about "recruitment," etc. This is classic political homophobia. Which is what this column is about.
Covid-19 Aerosol., From WikimediaPhotos
(27 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 4, 2021
The COVID-19 Pandemic; Anti-Vaxxers Right and Left; and Be Careful who your Friends are This column is a discussion of COVID-19, science/non-science, public health, vaccination, anti-vaxxers Left and Right, anti-maskers (Right, although who knows, there might be some lefties against masks also), ivermectin (how could I skip it) and etc. Warning: as a career public health physician, I take the traditional scientific/public health positions on the various questions raised in the column.
Ted Cruz, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 13, 2017
The Repubs., the Religious Right, and the Criminalization of Religious Belief With a great flourish, the Dominionist Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz introduced his "First Amendment Defense Act" into the new Congress. His stated purpose is to protect the "freedom of religion" for persons who would like to prevent the Federal government from "retaliating against businesses or people who refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals."
Europe-Ukraine.  It's a pretty big place., From WikimediaPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 17, 2020
Ukraine: Some Historical Background This column presents, briefly, some 20th and 21st century historical background on the present situation in Ukraine.
From flickr.com: Steve Bannon TIME Magazine Cover.  He's about as base as you can get.  (Sorry!), From Images
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 6, 2018
Race remains the Trump Card I, and many others, have been writing about the "Trump base" for some time now. A variety of reasons have been given by a variety of observers for its sticky-ness to Trump. For me, it comes down to one word which many observers seem to shy away from (although, I must say, Paul Krugman does not): "racism." And that's what this column is about.
Lavishly paid celebrity journo Bartiromo at her desk: cheerfully spreading ignorance and misinformation about social and economic realities., From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Maria Bartiromo and the "Moral Imperative" of Capitalism Maria Bartiromo tells us that there is a "moral imperative" underlying capitalism, especially in contrast to "socialism," even Bernie Sanders' "democratic socialism" (otherwise known as The New Deal on Steroids.) Ms. Bartiromo (and every other similar apologist for capitalism and its destructive forces), I just wonder how you square that circle.
Robert Mueller - Great investigator; Lousy witness., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Selections from the Mueller Report, in the Director's Own Words This column presents selections from the House of Representative hearings wuth Director Robert Mueller on the contents and findings of his Report. It consists of excerpts from the questions of several Democrats from both Judiciary and Intelligence Committee, with Dir. Mueller's responses highlighted. As many observers have pointed out, he is a man of few words. Which makes the words presented herein even more powerful.
SARS-CoV-2. All too familiar., From WikimediaPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 22, 2020
Infectious Disease Science and D.J. Trump, Part 2 This is the 2nd part of a two-part series on Trump and the corona virus focusing on the completely unscientific TrumpResponse. It reviews the epidemiology of the disease (epidemiology being the study of the distribution of disease in populations). And it also discusses how Trump's ignorance/ignoring of the basic facts of what I call the Trumpidemic2020(C) has led to the increasingly horrible outcomes we are experiencing.
From flickr.com: Protesters against the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside the Warren E., From Images
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 20, 2018
On the Kavanaugh Nomination (as of Sept. 20, 2018) Being a set of Tweets that I posted on the Kavanaugh/Ford drama, expanded for this venue, with some additional commentary. (Have I ever been known to resist "additional commentary" when space allows? Well, nah.)
Che y Fidel. This is how it all started., From WikimediaPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 23, 2021
The 62 Years War Against Cuba This column examines what is currently going on in Cuba in the context of "The 62 Years War Against Cuba" which has been waged by the United States since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on Jan. 1, 1959. Reviewing previous writing of mine, it also examines in brief what Cuba would look like if the always-threatened "Cruzbio" takeover were to somehow succeed.
Renfrewshire Witch Hunt Costume Shop.  And yes, that's in Scotland., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 29, 2019
The Trump 'Witch-hunt' and the Real Thing(s)" Donald Trump never gets tired of telling us that the Mueller Report process and publication, the constant stream of investigative journalism revealing everything from possible crimes by Trump and Friends to the many oh-so-non-Presidential acts by same, and of course the current Impeachment Inquiry, are nothing more than a "Witch Hunt." This column describes what Witch Hunts, of the religious and political kind, really were.
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Why the Republicans Want the Presidency So why do the Republicans want the Presidency? They have the majority in the House of Representatives. Through the use of the never-ending use of the filibuster they control the legislative process in the Senate. They have a lock on the majority of the Supreme Court. They have a President who, for whatever reason, simply does not fight or fight back. But they do now seem to want it. And so the question, why?
God Despairs, From FlickrPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 3, 2015
I Hate to Break This to You, Judge Moore, but God Did Not Actually Write the US Constitution Nullification and the South. Bound together at birth and determined to keep on truckin' (Judge Moore).
Franklin Graham - ERRor No. 1, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 9, 2020
Trump, the Evangelical Republican Right (ERR), and "God" The Evangelical Republican Right --- ERR(C) --- tells us that "God" has chosen Trump as President. This column discusses that proposition --- in some depth.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Democratic Party's "Far Left" Used to be Considered Just Common Sense It is common, even among his critics other than the Tea Party folk to separate President Obama from that "Far Left." Indeed the President has been receiving much applause over the last six weeks from the self-styled Republican morning TV talk show host Joe Scarborough for his "move to the Center" since the election. I guess that Joe didn't notice that for the most part, Obama has pretty well been there. So what's "Far Left?"
(17 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 9, 2016
Revisiting "9/11" on its 15th Anniversary, in the Context of the Reichstag Fire It is not simply about the invasion of individual rights, but also the end of "checks and balances" -- the bypassing of the independent judiciary, the legislature, and the substitution of rule by Presidential Decree. What better than a grand "terrorist" event, like the destruction of the WTC? Or, in Berlin of 1933, the destruction of the Reichstag?
Superstorm Sandy damage in Seaside Heights New Jersey.  The roller coaster that the Earth is on right now is much bigger., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 19, 2015
The Suicide of Capitalism "Suicide" means, literally, killing oneself. Most often, suicide is voluntary. However, by definition, it can be involuntary as well, as in accidentally killing oneself while cleaning a loaded handgun Capitalism, the world's dominant socio-economic system, is, by its very nature of accumulation and unregulated use of natural resources, including of course carbon-based fuels in the process of killing itself.
State of Austria within Germany 1938. So obviously, Czechoslovakia was next., From WikimediaPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 8, 2021
The U.S. Ruling Class and the Onset of Republo-Fascism; with a Lesson from the 'Anschluss' of 1938 The "Anschluss," the joining of Austria to Nazi Germany in March, 1938, resulted from an invasion by the Nazis. It was part of a series of aggressive actions at home and abroad that had begun back in 1933, after the approval of the Nazi regime was provided to it by cream of the German ruling class. A recent book on the Anschluss dramatizes the meeting at which that approval was granted. It has lessons for us in the U. S.
Prison, for abortion seekers, or abortion providers, or both?, From FlickrPhotos
(16 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 25, 2017
"Losing the Abortion Wars" The Republicans and their allies on the Christian Right, want to impose their religious dogmas on the whole country, and criminalize abortion. The abortion-rights movement must soon face this issue of religious authoritarianism, or the battle will be lost.
Humanists Celebrate Reality, without prejudice (except when told what religious views to hold, by law), From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 14, 2013
A Secular Humanist Jew's Thoughts on Yom Kippur: On Atheism and Theism, and on Religion and Organized Religion Being some reflections on the Jewish High Holy Day written after attending the Kol Nidre service at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in London this past month. The sermon was given by the congregation's retired Chief Rabbi, David Goldberg. Two years ago I heard him give a sermon at Kol Nidre service which he began with a modification of a quote from the English historian A.J. Toynbee: "I don't believe in God; but I miss him."
Well Brazil is one place he won't be able to go now., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 29, 2022
Trump Flees After a life-time of dodging the law (mainly civil) Trump is now facing multiple criminal charges. The gist of this column is that since Trump is hardly a man of courage, it is highly likely, in my view, that, if can get a significant chunk of the funds he has left out of the country, he will get out of the country. This column briefly reviews the number of criminal cases which face Trump, plus some thoughts on his leaving.
Separation Wall - Bethlehem, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Israel-Palestine: Trumped, Part 1: Why the Israeli Right Will Never Negotiate Trump's Jerusalem decision has put Israel-Palestinian peace talks on hold indefinitely. But that suits the Israeli Right, led now by Netanyahu and Likud, just fine. And it always has.
Donald Trump's Taj Ma WALL, From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 1, 2019
Ann Coulter's Wall and Trump's Continuing Drive towards Fascism This column is about Trump's Wall, Ann Coulter, and Trump's continuing drive towards establishing a fascist state. With a postscript on his abandonment of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces agreement (then with the Soviet Union, now with its successor state, Russia).
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, April 1, 2023
Trump Indicated (Ooops, I mean Indicted)" Joining the many others who are is doing it, here I comment on the indictments. I consider that: the indictments are for a variety of felonies; Weisselberg, Pecker and Clifford all came in just before they were issued and may have presented critical new evidence; since the indictments are for felonies, Trump's passport could lifted; Trump is broadly using his "7 Magic Tricks"; and Repub. commentators never say "he's innocent!"
From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 25, 2016
9/11 and the "28 Pages" Why would the Saudi Royal Family be pushing for the document's release? "It's just a police report, a collection of fact and speculation, with no conclusions." It's all about 9/11 and the possible involvement of U.S. government officials at a very high level in it.
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 13, 2019
The Criminalization of Thought on "When Life Begins" The Georgia Legislature recently passed a law that criminalizes abortion in the state, as well as for any Georgia woman who travels outside of the state to obtain an abortion. This column first summarizes the law's provisions and then presents a section from a 1996 book of mine about a then-fictional future fascist U.S., in which just such a program is implemented, by Constitutional amendment. Can't happen here? Already is.
Christianity Today Editor-In-Chief: Trump's Character Is Troublesome | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC Christianity Today's editor-in-chief Mark Galli discussed his article in support of removing President Trump from office and called the president's character ..., From YouTubeVideos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 26, 2019
The Galli-"Christianity Today" Controversy Recently, Mark Galli, the retiring editor of journal "Christianity Today," wrote an editorial for his personal dishonesty and immorality. He was immediately laid into by what is apparently the rest of the leadership of the Evangelical Right, saying "how dare you say this about our [maximum] leader?" Mr. Galli has come for much praise. But did he dissociate himself from the doctrines? Hardly. That is what this column is about.
Supreme Court Grave Diggers (updated with Kavanaugh).  What a happy bunch. On their way to burying democracy too., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, September 7, 2019
The Gun Problem: From What the 2nd Amend. Really Says through Who the Enemy of Gun Safety Really Is to Some Thoughts on As long as the Repubs. have their trigger fingers on at least one branch of the Federal government, nothing happens in terms of dealing with gun violence. There are several new points that can be made in regard of both why the Repubs. do this and what could actually be done about the problem, of mass shootings, at least. That's what this column is about.
Horst Wessel, an S.A. trooper who was killed in a street fight, became a Nazi hero: The .Horst Wessel Song.., From WikimediaPhotos
(18 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 9, 2021
Kyle Rittenhaus, the 'Trial,' and the formation of the U.S.S.A. (Orig.: 'Die Sturmabteilung') The Rittenhouse "trial" was a farce. That is what this column is about in part. But it is also that a process which seems to be occurring in this country, one to create a series of private "militias," very similar in function, and to a certain extent in form, to the historically most famous of them all, the Nazi Sturmabteilung, the "Storm Division," which helped propel Hitler to power. Ah, but what color will their shirts be?
Bill Clinton - The (sometimes) Happy Warrior successor to Hubert Humphrey., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 10, 2019
A Clinton Impeachment/Trump Impeachment Comparo This is, as the title says, a comparison of the impeachment of Bill Clinton wit the possible one of Donald Trump. Repubs. and Trumpubs. are falling all over themselves trying to equilibrate the two. Well, there ain't no there there. And that's what this column is about.
Lindsey Graham speaking Ghazi-Latin, back in the day when, of course, the target was Hillary Clinton (who, on certain days, Trump thinks he is still running against)., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 6, 2019
Some Brief Observations, Oct.-Nov., 2019 Greetings to my regular readers and my irregular ones as well. I have been with OEN for some years now, publishing a column just about every week during that time-span. You may (or may not[!]) have noticed that I haven't been around OEN too much over the past couple of months. The reason is that I have had an illness, and it has taken some to figure out the correct treatment. But that was finally found, and here I am, back.
What? Fascist? Who, me? I don't even know what the word means., From FlickrPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Trump: The Accidental Fascist: The Force of Personality Fascism is a form of government developed in the 20th century designed to maintain control over State Power for a capitalist ruling class, when that control through the means of monarchical or constitutional democracy is threatened. The fascists who have come to power knew what they were doing and on their way to power planned what they were going to do with it when they got there. Trump is what I call an "Accidental Fascist."
Israel and occupied territories map., From WikimediaPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 20, 2023
On the Gaza Crisis, 2023(2): Who Benefits?" The argument that I make in this column is to me very obvious and can summarized very briefly. Who benefits? Both of the two opposing sides in the "assault on Gaza which followed an assault on Israel:" the Israeli Likudniks and the Irredentist Palestinians (sponsored by Iran), neither of which wants anything approaching a Two-State Solution.
The March on Rome: A precursor to the Trumpsurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, just about 100 years ago., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 7, 2021
The Republo-Fascist Party: The Role of the U.S. Ruling Class This column discusses the movement of the developing Republo-fascist Party (to which I have referred in the past as the "Trumpublican Party") further to the Right, indeed in the direction of classical fascism, and then further discussing the role of the U.S. ruling class, which is splitting over which direction --- fascism or liberal democracy --- is best for maintaining both its profitability and control over State Power.
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 10, 2017
Racism, Charles Murray, and Free Speech The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Murray (Seelye) as a "white nationalist" who uses "pseudoscience and misleading statistics to argue that social inequality is caused by the genetic inferiority of black [and now] Latino communities, women, and the poor.
Little St James Island: All Jeff's, even the U.S. flag.  How patriotic!  But don't try to go there, unless invited., From FlickrPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 11, 2019
The Epstein-Barr Virus and Donald J. Trump In the realm of infectious disease, the Epstein-Barr virus is the cause of mononucleosis. In this column, we are talking about a different sort of Epstein-Barr virus and the politico-socio diseases it causes.
Joni Ernst, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 3, 2014
Joni Ernst: The Future Face of the Republican Party Joni Ernst, if elected, will be a new incarnation of a US Senator: Don't like a law or its messenger? Why just use your weapon.
Trump, by Rupert Murdoch, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Trump Welshes on the 'Iran Deal.' Why?" Trump's foreign policy often seems governed by what he said on the campaign trail. There was even less thinking-through-of-a-problem and coming-up-with-some-rational-solution to it than there is in his Administration. And so, one of Trumps' repeated ringing statements, which he applied liberally to just about any Obama-Administration initiative he could bring into play, over-and-over again, was what a terrible Deal it was.
Speaking of trust: Can arch-Zionist warmonger and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a cynical supporter of Netanyahu, who buys American politicians by the score, one of the dark forces behind the advertising blitz condemning the treaty, be trusted?, From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 4, 2015
The Iran Deal: Who Can You Trust? There is a trust issue on the table. It's whether Iran should trust the United States to keep its pledge to lift sanctions permanently, as long as Iran keeps its end of the bargain by not pursuing nuclear weapons through a very-heavily inspected nuclear energy program.
International Brigades Memorial. The Brigades fought against Spanish, Italian, and German fascists in Spain, 1936-39. For their sweat and sacrifices, in the U.S. they were labelled .pre-mature. anti-fascists and some were persecuted after World War II.  W, From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 29, 2018
On the Brink of Fascism in the U.S.: The Role of the Ruling Class, Part 1 As the legal and political walls close around him,Trump moves closer to establishing a 21st cent. version of fascism. But the political-economic system we know as fascism does not arrive out of history by itself. It is put in place by a capitalist ruling class that feels its political control slipping. This column is the first of a two-parter on how fascism might come to the U.S., courtesy of a wing of the U.S. ruling class.
Prime Minister Modi meets South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in New York: What an Excellent Authoritarian Model for Her., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Nikki Haley, Trump, Let the Govs. do It, and the Constitution, Part 2 This is Part 2 of a series on Gov./Amb/Pres. Nominee Wanna/be Nikki Haley. that considers her support for Pres. Trump's "let the Governors do it" for both testing and materials supply. In fact, the Constituion's Statement of Purpose, the Preamble, simply does not support this approach. A Postscript considers Trump's visit to a mask-making plant in Arizona during which he described the U.S. as "warriors" going into battle.
Trump. Ah but what?  Well, RT knows., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 24, 2017
"Trump: The 'Shift' and the Ruling Class" Since he became the minority President, Trump has clearly changed course, on many of his important issues, especially those central to the interests of the economically dominant sector of the ruling class. This column outlines the essential elements of the "Trump Shift."
Trump - the Fascist Tangerine. I've used this illustration before, on the Trump-fascist comparo, but it surely still fits., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Fascism, the U.S. Ruling Class, and Trump The upcoming US election is primarily a battle between the two wings of the U.S. ruling class. One believes that the best way to maintain its control over the state apparatus is through a return to a set of democratic reforms, along the lines of an expanded "New Deal." The other is the wing that believes that its control can only be maintained through the imposition of fascism. It all revolves around the nature of the State.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 10, 2023
The SJ "Killer Fence," Israel's detector fence, the GAZA attack, Mike Johnson, and "The Devil's Triangle" This column presents an excerpt from my book, originally published in 1996, now in its 3rd version (2013), entitled "The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S. 1981-2022. It describes an electronic "killer" fence, first installed along the Southern border, but by 2020 being used for another purpose. It also discusses the real, very sophisticated detection equip. used by Israel on GAZA border
Firefighters pay tribute to fallen brethren > Eglin Air Force Base, who fell only because .America's Mayor. (sic) refused to authorize spending the money, in the 90's, to link the NYC Police and Fire radio systems., From GoogleImages
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 13, 2017
11 Questions on the 16th Anniversary of the 9-11 Tragedy; Plus a Bonus Question On he 16th anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing, many unanswered questions remain. Here are 11 of them plus a Bonus Question.
Auschwitz I. Ah yes, just like a vaccination program, except at Auschwitz there was no opting out., From WikimediaPhotos
(15 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 27, 2022
The Three Big Lies of 2022: Two Concern the Pandemic This column reviews the "The 3 Big Lies" of Trump/COVID era: 1. "The Election as Stolen;" 2. there is some kind of forced-no-way-out mass vaccination program in the U.S.; 3. the U.S. vaccination program is like the Holocaust. The first I (and many others) have dealt with elsewhere. For the 2nd, I explain what a "mandate" is and that in practice it means requirement-for-participation. For the 3rd, I describe the Holocaust.
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, July 9, 2023
"Marbury v. Madison" and its Constitutionality --- Revisited On several occasions previously I have published an excerpt from my 1996 "future history" book, "The 15% Solution," which presents a fascist government's Supreme Court decision overturning the famous "Marbury v. Madison" decision, which had established the Court's review powers of decisions of the other two branches of the Federal govt. In light of the recent highly controversial Court decisions, I offer it again here.
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump with former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush.  Just think.  Someone worse actually came along., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 11, 2019
A 9-11 Retrospective: Possible Explanations for the Behavior of Pres. George W. Bush, in re 9-11 As is well known, today is the 18th anniversary of the awful tragedy of 9-11, and subsequent events, including the War on Iraq, which would not have happened if it had not happened. They will linger with us for decades. I have written on this subject numerous times over the years. This column is a revisit to one on the subject that I originally published on a long-gone political website, "The Political Junkies," in 2004.
Uncle Sam Says: .just take out the word 'Stop,' the syllable 'ing,' and add the word .White. between the words .You're. and .Americans,. and you've the Trumpublicans down to a .T. (for Trump, that is)., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Trump and the Trumpublicans (tm): 'Look, Over There!' Trump and the Trumpublicans (tm) are trying hard to keep the focus of "Trump crimes investigations" on the outcome of the Mueller Report, which presents tons of evidence but comes to no conclusions, and on the Assange indictment, which, with a conviction could end the free press in the U.S. as we know it --- a major Trump objective. But a major objective of these foci is to keep attention away from Trump's financial crimes.
King Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson on holiday in Yugoslavia, 1936., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 19, 2017
Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and THE Prince of Wales, Part 2 This column is Part 2 of my ruminations about the historical similarities between Great Britain's Prince-of-Wales, Edward-VIII, Duke-of-Windsor and Donald J. Trump
Au musee de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame : Nativite (Alsace-vers 1470).  Let's all gather 'round --- whether you believe or not --- or suffer the consequences of the law., From ImagesAttr
(16 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 7, 2014
On the Road to Theocracy: The Hobby Lobby Decision In this case the Supreme Court, took on a power that I couldn't find anywhere in the Constitution. I did look hard for it and it must be in there somewhere, for the Republican Religious Right tells us that "God" and "Christian" are in it and I can't find them either. But since Fox"News" et al tell me that they are, they must be, no? And so SCOTUS has indeed filed an amendment, to be found at the end of this column.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 4, 2012
Ending the "War on Drugs" What the "Drug War" is really about, why the current drug policy reform doesn't work, and how drug use can be safely and effectively dealt through the adoption of a comprehensive public health program are what this column is about.
About your serially sexually assaulting women? Ooops! Yes you did. Right on that .Billy Bush. tape., From FlickrPhotos
(27 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 8, 2020
Tara Reade and the Sexual Assault Charge Against former Vice-President Biden: A Commentary Ms. Tara Reade has lodged a charge of sexual assault against former V-P Biden. 1st, it should be fully investigated. 2nd, the V-P has attempted to initiate that investigation in the Senate files. Guess what? McConnell said "no way." 3rd, the Repubs. are screaming "Kavanaugh-Ford." Dr. Ford testified under oath. Ms. Reade has said she will. But the real comparable is Trump. If the V-P is to be investigated, so must Trump be.
Yes indeed. The upper crust of German Jewry supported Hitler even after he had laid out what he would do the Jews, given the chance., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Jews for Hitler; Blacks (and other non-Whites) for Trump The title of this column might well be "Jews for Hitler? Why not Blacks [and other non-whites] for Trump." It is an update of a column on that history (published previously several times), addressing current Republican politics and the role of non-whites in it.
UFO. Could it be that simple?, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Star Trek, Star Wars, UFA's and the Future of the Earth A report on UFOs/UFAs is to be forthcoming from the Pentagon any day now. In this column, based on heretofore unknown contacts between Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas and Visitors from out space, I present the real story of what is going on with the Unexplained Objects in the Sky and how that story pertains to the survival of our species on the Earth.
NORTH POLE Ice (now). Holy Crow (or is it Holy Cow?)  If Admiral Peary and his colleagues (britannica.com/biography/Robert-Edwin-Peary) had slipped, they might have drowned., From WikimediaPhotos
(12 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, August 15, 2021
'The Suicide of Capitalism,' Revisited Global warming is clearly getting worse, and so are its outcomes. Warnings have been issued with great regularity from the UN, from climate science and scientists, and etc. But nothing significant has happened, except that the predicted total disaster date has moved ever closer. The "why" has this happened can be summed up in one word "capitalism." I published a column on this subject about 6 1/2 years ago, reproduced here.
The original story, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 21, 2018
From 'Fiddler on the Roof' to Netanyahu's Israel. How Did We Get from A to B? "Fiddler on the Roof" in English is a musical comedy with tragic overtones, especially at the end. "Fiddler on the Roof" in Yiddish is a tragedy, with comic relief and some good dancing.
Jill Biden official portrait. Nothing artificial here., From WikimediaPhotos
(18 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 21, 2020
How Do You Spell "Democratic Party" in 2020? Without the Letters C-L-I-N-T-O-N in the Name: Responding to Commentaries This column is a collective response/commentary by me on the set of Commentaries that were offered on my previous column for OpEdNews. (For the link to that column see the beginning of this one.) I had fun doing it. I hope that you will have fun reading it.
USS Reagan tipping over, just like the President was doing in his second term (but his was covered up, unlike that of the ship)., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 13, 2020
The COVID-19 Epidemic and the Disastrous Federal Government Response: It Ain't Just Trump Trump has been characterizing the oncoming COVID-19 epidemic as some combination of Obama's fault, a Democratic hoax and/or re-run of impeachment, and etc. In particular there has been a major gap in testing. Some speculate that that relates to Trump's concerns about his re-election chances. But there has also been traditional modern Repub. resistance to "big government." This column explores the relationship.
Trump: .The only solutions I like are the ones that favor me, me, me.., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 8, 2019
Trumped, by Himself? The Owning Group in the United States has been very much invested in Trump, for obvious reasons. However, long-term politically they face the Browning of America. They have already been preparing for that eventuality, long-term However, Trump's performance leading up to and in the wake of "El Paso" may have speeded up the formation of a major non-white coalition that could easily unseat him in 2020. Creates a problem for them
Priority, Golf.  This is how he thinks., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 23, 2020
How Trump Thinks (and he does), as in: "I have done nothing wrong" Trump does think. He does think differently than most of us do, but he does. This column is about what his own way of thinking is, and how it got to be that way.
Peering into a Trump dream: Translucent Image of Hitler with Acolytes - Looking onto Parade Ground at Nazi Party Rally Grounds - Nuremberg Germany, From FlickrPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Trump and Racism: A Revisit This column, with a short new introduction, is a revisit to a column on Trump and racism that I published in 2011. The only thing that has changed is that now he is even more open about the doctrine than he was back then.
Cardinal of the Kremlin.  Well, it used to be Red., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 13, 2018
"A Sometime Guide to Jane Mayer's New Yorker Column on Christopher Steele and 'The Dossier' " This column is a consideration of some of the highlights of a 15,000 word article on Christopher Steele and his "Dossier," that the investigative journalist Jane Mayer recently published in The New Yorker magazine.
2020 coronavirus task force. Apparently Trump doesn't attend meetings often, and when he does he doesn't learn much., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 18, 2020
Infectious Disease Science and D.J. Trump, Part 1 The COVID-19 pandemic is a complicated problem, although the solution to controlling its spread is fairly straightforward, as has been demonstrated by a number of countries that have been reasonably effective in controlling it. That number does not include the U.S., for two reasons. First, the nature of the disease. Second is a massive road-block to doing so named Donald J. Trump. This column discusses that relationship.
Charlottesville, and some of the .fine (Trump) people. who were there., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 12, 2020
Trump Reveals His 2020 Platform Trump faces some serious headwinds in his 2020 campaign the COVID-19 pandemic which his actions only make worse; the resulting Recession/oncoming Depression, which his actions do little to ameliorate. And now he has the massive national movement around the issue of institutional racism. And so Trump, the racist, has had to very quickly devise a platform to deal with the threat to a 2nd term. That is what this column is about.
Refuse Fascism, On the march., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 17, 2018
21st Century Fascism -- Republican/Trump Style, Part 3: What Can be Done, An Introduction This is the third in a what is now a four-part series on the description/analysis of Trumpite/Repub./21st century "functional fascism." It sets forth some of the basic principles and problems with which the Resistance movement is dealing.
Ever wonder why the elephant is the Repub. symbol?  Me too., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 17, 2019
What the Trumpublicans© Will Be Running on in 2020: 6 R's Plus 3 C's" Republicans almost never run on substantive issues, almost always on process, focusing on means and labels. For 2020, whether or not (for one reason or another, Trump is their candidate they will run on what I call "The Six R's and the Two C's: Racism, Rage, Red-baiting, Religiosity, Repression, Russian (interference), and Cheating and Conspiracy Theories." That is what this column is about.
Atlas Comics logo.  Except that in the context of the Trumpidemic2020(C), having an Atlas around just ain't funny., From WikimediaPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 30, 2020
Little Scotty Atlas: Boy Public Health Doctor "Herd immunity" is an intervention which the Trumpites are now pushing as an alternative to undertaking any serious public health measures to control the SARS-Co-V-2 Trumpidemic2020. It is being promoted by a neuroradiologist who obviously knows nothing about public health or what "herd immunity" really is. And so we have little Scotty Atlas playing public health physician, at the potential cost of 100's of 1000's of lives.
USS Constitution is underway during Chief Petty Officer Heritage Weeks. (And no, it's not THAT Constitution that Trump wants to do away with --- yet.), From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Trump's 'Constitution,' The Seven Magic Tricks, and The Republo-Fascists Trump's recent (verbal-this-time-around) assault on Constitutional Democracy, and he is using it, in the context of his "Seven Magic Tricks," in a major attempt to draw attention away from his legal woes. As for the Republican response to that assault, it's not because they disagree with Trump and don't want to say that out loud. It's because they agree with him about Republo-fascism, but don't want to say that out loud (yet).
A marker for the occupation of Wall Street and beyond., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 15, 2016
The End(s) of Capitalism In the United States (and in the United Kingdom as well -- on her first day in office, the new Tory Prime Minister Theresa May, shut down the government Department for Energy and Climate Change) the ruling class will not only not do anything to ameliorate the global warming/climate change problem, but will actually continue to follow policies that actually accelerate it, leading of course to the eventual end of capitalism.
Trump says it all., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 6, 2020
The Trumpidemic2020(C): What's in a Name? Some qualified observers (not just the Fox"News"/OANN alternate newsiverse) say that the Trumpidemic2020(C) is "America's" fault. It ain't. It's Trump's fault, and that is what this column.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 7, 2020
The US Ruling Class and Trump's Personality and Politics: A Fatal Attraction On April 10, 2020 Former Amb./Gov./future Repub. Presidential-Candidate-Wanna-Be Nikki Haley published a New York Times Op-Ed in which she set forth her arguments as to why the pandemic response should almost entirely belpmg to the Governors. Elsewhere I published a riposte to that, based on the Preamble to the Constitution. Trump has taken two different positions on the matter.This is the first of a two-parter dealing with it
Indeed, Don.  The U.S. Constitution is coming for you!, From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 1, 2019
The No Collusion Delusion (with a definition)" Some, both Right and Left, are going to treat this column as a joke But even though it was published on April Fool's Day, this column is deadly serious. For a really good one of the above, see Josh Mitteldorf's column on Trump and Twitter.
Kellyanne Conway - Caricature, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 25, 2020
The Deconstruction of the Administrative State and the Trumpidemic2020© A major factor in creating the reality of the Trumpidemic2020(C) in the United States, above and beyond the appearance of COVID-19 virus in China, is how the Federal government, crippled by Steve Bannon's Doctrine of the Deconstruction of the Administrative State, was able to respond to it. The deficit of professionalism was of course compounded by a variety of "Trump being himself" factors. This column considers these issues
A Confidence Trick - JM Staniforth.  This one is, of course, a classic con.  Trump's con isn't --- a classic one that is., From WikimediaPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 25, 2022
History's Greatest Con Man tries his Biggest Con, Ever, and Adds a 7th "'Magic Trick" This column A) builds on my assertion that Trump is History's Greatest con man, and B) attempts to prove that the "Stolen Election" shtick is Trump's great trick. He knows he lost but knows what he must do to A) remain in the public eye, B) retain political control of the Republican Party, and C) raise money, lots of it. The column also adds a "7th Trick, the "Oh woe is me; everyone's against me" one. What a combo. What a con.
Donald Trump's muslim ban, From YouTubeVideos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 13, 2017
2017 Onwards, Column No. 2: "Why the Muslim Ban" it is a Muslim Ban, regardless of what the Trumpites say publicly (and even regardless of what revised language that have put into the current Ban or might put into a revised one). The objective is clearly to intensify Islamophobia at home.
The Clintons on parade for Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1997, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 21, 2016
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Leadership Council: How to Lose an Election While Clinton could have gone on the attack against Trump and shown that he was putting up a Potemkin Village of all front, all talk, and nothing behind it in terms of any kind of a program of implementation, she was hamstrung by former DLC cooperation on the policies that have led to the state in which the nation finds itself.
And just think, if hadn't have done the bone spurs dodge, he could have been wearing a uniform too., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 20, 2020
Nikki Haley, Trump, and Let the Govs. Do It, Part 1 About a week and-a-half ago, former Gov./former UN Ambass./future Repub.-Pres.-Nominee-Wannabe, about the pandemic and who should be in charge, said "Let the Governors do it." And I published the original col. on what is now a two-part series on buzzflash.com. Then Trump said no, "I'm in charge." Then he changed his mind again. And so things really got confused. And so that column became two columns, the first of which is here
Ah for the Good Old Days of the Rise of the Lost Cause, and the Launch of U.S. imperialism, at the same time., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 28, 2021
Toni Morrison and the Trajectory of Racism in the U.S.: from 1995 to the Present and Beyond In 1996 I published a "future history," "The 15%^ Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022." In chapter two, which describes the foundation of the racist-fascist movement which led to that outcome, I used an extensive quote from an article on racist politics that Toni Morrison had published in 1995. Given the attention being paid to her by racist politicians, here is a revisit to her thought from that time
Unfortunately, it's not.  It's just coming on differently., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 29, 2021
American Exceptionalism: Fascism Arrives in Slow Motion As the title under the illustration for this week's column, (unfortunately) fascism in NOT so last century. As numbers of previous columns of mine (and those of many other observers) have illustrated, Republo-fascism is coming right down the track. But compared with how fascism arrived in the 5 major fascist countries of the 20th cent., it is coming on in slow-motion, as an example of "American Exceptionalism."
Steve Bannon - Caricature, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 22, 2019
A Revisit --- The Radical Right Rising: Capitalism in the 21st Century The triumph of capitalism, for the capitalists (e.g., never have there been so many billionaires around the world) which we are now witnessing, has been achieved largely by the crushing of the two major representatives of the workers in the 20th century: the trade unions and the moderate leftist political parties. Thus, in many countries, some workers are gravitating to the "blame the other" radical right: a reconsideration.
Donald wir folgen Dir! (Tr.: Donald, we follow you.) Yes! Der Fuerher Prinzip, indeed., From FlickrPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 28, 2020
Der Fuerherprinzip, the Republican Party, and Leader Trump On his way to transforming our nation, Donald Trump has also been transforming the Republican Party, into what I for quite some time now have been calling "The Trumpublican Party." At the RNC that transformation was completed. For the Party no longer has its Platform. Rather, there is Trump's own AGENDA. Trump has made himself into the unquestioned leader, Der Fuerher, of the Party. And that's what this column is about.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Ted Cruz, Meet Jefferson Davis Hague Although he is now regarded as a long shot, his shot may not be so long, especially because right at the beginning of his speech he talked about getting a very strong ground game going. He will not only be able to call upon the Christian Right (and "Evangelicals" is a polite misnomer: there are plenty of non-Republican, non-political evangelicals.)
Kinda God-like, doncha think?, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 9, 2018
The Serialization (5) of The 15% Solution: Author's (SJ) Preface: Part 3 Being the continuation of Preface to the book in my, Steven Jonas', voice, Part 1 of which was published on OpEdNews on March 8, 2018, and Part 2 of which was published on March 20, 2018. This is the last installment of this very lengthy Preface. Readers may recall that this Preface is written in my, Steven Jonas', voice. The balance of the book written in the voice of the putative author, "Jonathan Westminster."
2012 Republican Presidential Candidates - If real teeth, instead of just verbal ones, could have won Giuliani the nomination, who knows?, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The Exceptional Rudy Giuliani, and the Repubs. One thing that one can say about Rudy Giuliani: almost every time he opens his mouth he makes such an inviting target for commentary from the Left.
BREAKING  President Trump SHOCKS reporter with his answer about Steve Bannon, From YouTubeVideos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Bush/Cheney, Trump, and Permanent War Trump is in trouble politically, with disastrous poll numbers and the inability to get anything major done. And his poll numbers have upticked dramatically since the Syrian missile strike. And so, here's a shot (literally) to overcome all the negatives so far. Such an attack takes quite a bit of planning.) And so, there are certain comparisons with Bush/Cheney and the state of permanent war
Confederate Reunion Parade Richmond., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 11, 2021
Racism, Historical Fact, and 'The Lost Cause' Prof. Noah Feldman, Harvard Law School, recently published a New York Times Op-Ed entitled "Lincoln Broke the U.S. Constitution." Such a topic could make for an interesting discussion. Except that Prof. Feldman got all of his historical facts wrong. So the topic, as phrased by the Prof., doesn't make it. How it supports the current revival of the "Lost Cause" propaganda shtick does make for an interesting argument. Here 'tis.
Principalities of Kievan Rus. Once upon a time, it was a pretty big place., From WikimediaPhotos
(12 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 14, 2022
Putin and Ukraine: Making the World Safe for Plutocracy This column is brief treatment of the possible "why" for Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Briefly, I don't think it has anything to do with NATO (and in the column I explain why). NATO is a good excuse for Putin, to do what he is doing. And his aim is to show that world that it is safe for plutocracy.
Actually, this is not Mitt, but his father George, who was actually a member of that extinct species, Liberal Republican., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Impeachment Thoughts: As the Defense (seems to) Rest The "Defense" was fascinating, because it wasn't a defense in the conventional sense. It was rather, for the most part, classic Trumpian "Always attack, never defend." This column, for the most part, is a set of examples of that strategy/tactic.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 24, 2018
The Jewish Refugee Crisis in Europe, 1939 (with apologies for its length) This column offers a paper on the emigration/immigration of European Jews fleeing Nazi terror in the decade before the onset of World War II. It was written by my father, Harold J. Jonas, and published in the Contemporary Jewish Record in the Sept.-Oct. 1939 issue. Comparisons with the contemporary situation, from the Western border of Myanmar to the Southern border of the United States, are purely intentional.
From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 30, 2015
No. 1: Lessons in Greek -- for Leftists The tax increases demanded by the European Union do not seem to be falling on the Greek ruling class, nor do the demanded "reforms" (read further punishment for the Greek working class to pay for the ruling class' mistakes/greed) seem to include forcing the Greek billionaires to pay the taxes that they have avoided for years by shipping their profits overseas.
Hard to find books, White by Law.  On  Trump's bed table?, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Running Against Trump and His Racism: Suggestions for Strategy and Tactics This column is on Trump's and the Trumpublicans' (tm) racism, and how to beat them both in the next election.
Colin Kaepernick Booed For Refusing to Stand During National Anthem on Military Appreciation Night, From YouTubeVideos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 5, 2016
Colin Kaepernick, the National Anthem, the Meaning of "Freedom," and the U.S. Right Applause to Colin Kaepernick. Maybe he will awaken the country to do some really deep thinking about what "American freedom" does and does not stand for, and what the "Star Bangled Banner" does and does not stand for as well.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 12, 2019
Carter Page and the Trump/Russia Connection - Revisited In light of the Dept. IG's Report on the Trump/Russia collusion (or worse) investigation, one minor Trump lackey, Carter Page, has once again emerged as a central figure. I published a column on Page about a year-and-a-half ago. Given the sudden re-emergence of Page, I thought that it would be useful to re-publish that column, unedited. And so, here it is.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Trump's Future; with Bits of his Past Trump has a new Communications Director, a man with no experience in directing political communications. Whether or not he is willing to and capable of learning how, that's neither here nor there. For he has a boss who has not the foggiest notion of what the Presidency is and shows neither willingness nor capability to learn. This column is about a few of problems that that has led to for Trump.
From flickr.com: Abraham Lincoln memorial.  (Be sure at some time to read his 2nd Inaugural Address. In my view, stands , From Images
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The Election of 1860 (and 2020?) For the first time in U.S. history, the Presidential election of 1860 featured four major party candidates. There has not been a similar one since then. But the U.S. election of 2020 might change all that.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 19, 2012
Dred Scott, Citizens United, and the Future of the Democratic Party The 1857 Dred Scott case could have been decided narrowly, dealing solely with the question of whether a slave, living for a significant amount of time in a Free State was entitled to sue as a citizen in an attempt to maintain his freedom. But the Supreme went well beyond those facts and in so doing helped sew the seeds of the First Civl War. In Citizens United the Supreme Court went broadly too. Implications are discussed.
Day 121: May Day.  May the true May Day, the first holiday of U.S. Labor, be with us forever., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Trump's Triumphant First 100 Days (for the Ruling Class)" In terms of the interests of the economically dominant sector of the U.S. ruling class, Trump's First 100 Days have been anything but a failure. See tax cuts (which will happen, regardless of the details), massive deregulation, the reattachment to NATO and the Military Industrial Complex, and the associated programs designed to keep the Religious/Misogynistic Right fully on board the Trump Train.
Frederick Douglass, by Steven Weitzman. The great abolitionist, who proclaimed, among other things, the humanity of slaves., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 14, 2018
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review Trump's choice to be Acting Attorney General, holds many far right-wing views on various aspects of the law (which makes him perfectly qualified for the job --- from Trump's point of view). This column offers a fictional version of one doctrine that Mr. Whitaker supported at least at one point in his career: that "Marbury v. Madison" was wrongly decided and thus the Supreme Court does not have he power of judicial review.
Brooklyn Street Scenes, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 31, 2020
One-and-a-Half Months in the Life of Trump; 10 Days in the Life (and death) of New York City As is well known, starting in January and running into March, President Trump continually down-played the any potential danger facing the United States from the outbreak of what has come to be known as the COVID-19 pandemic (or the Trumpidemic2020[C]). This column juxtaposes a series of Trump statements made during that time-period, with a series of events that took place around New York City in the latter part of March, 2020.
(17 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 28, 2011
The Lesser of the Evils: Hindsight is 20/20, but McCain Shudda Won The Great Debate on the Left about whether to support Barack Obama for re-election had been building already, even before the debt limit debacle. And now it is on in full force and will be with us right up until Election Day, 2012. You can tell from the title of this commentary which side I am on.
.Yats,. Nuland's guy, meeting with guess who?  (At least he's not standing next to a Ukrainian open fascist this time.), From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 17, 2014
Ukraine, the Cheneyites, and Permanent War Recently, Rachel Maddow posted a fine documentary indicating that the prime reason for the US/UK invasion of Iraq had to do with oil. For quite some time I have felt that while that was one of the motivations, the underlying one was the drive to create Permanent War, or failing that, the Permanent Preparation for War Society. This column explains my reasoning, vis-a-vis what's going on in Ukraine.
Hell.  Well, that's one way to look at it.  (What? You thought that I would choose some fire-and-brimstone pic?), From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, July 16, 2023
On Hell As parts of this nation are tearing down the road to some form of Republo-fascism (see my recent column on "The U.S. Ruling Class and the Republo-fascist Party") I thought that it might be useful to visit one of the central elements of the Christian Nationalism to which they are wedded: "Hell." Credit to my friend/colleague, Dr. Donald Ardell for providing me with the first opportunity to write on particular subject.
Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper.  The English Civil War? .E won it.. That is until posthumously, .e lost it and 'ad 'is 'ed put on a spike over Westminster Palace.., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 29, 2023
The Coming Second U.S. Civil War? No. We are in it. War is common to the only self-destructive species, Homo Sapiens (refs. in the text). There are two kinds of intra-species wars, one between various politico-economies, and the other within the same. The latter are called civil wars. They are always fought over irreconcilable differences between selectors within one nation-state. It is postulated that within the U.S., there are those irreconcilable differences. Ergo civil war
28 November 1939 - soldiers playing cards in front of a dug-out named
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 8, 2016
The Phony War, Trump, and the U.S. Ruling Class The Trumpites really did not expect to win the Presidency, although their hopes rose upon the interference in the election by FBI Director, William Comey. But win they did. Trump is nothing if not a clever marketer, particularly of himself and his name. Almost since the election he has been engaging in a Trumpian Phoney War while also making it very clear what the Trumpian Real War will be like, once he takes power.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
Trump Breitbart Bannon, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 12, 2017
Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and THE Prince of Wales, Part 1 As I have written about previously, I think that, with Steve Bannon at his side (or perhaps out in front of him), as the various investigations close in on him, Pres. Trump is planning to resign (with pardons all round). There are certain parallels on both the personal and political sides between Trump and history's most famous Prince of Wales. These are the subjects of this two-part series, of which this is Part I.
Constitution of the United States, page 1. Capitalist, yes, but as amended a  heck of alot better than the fascist system the Repubs. are hoping to put in its place., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 14, 2021
The American Christian Nation Party (Republican)** The column draws from my book "The 15% Solution" and on the political efforts of one Ralph Reed to make the Republican Party into some form of an "American Christian Nation Party." The focus here is on an appeal for funds for an organization headed by Reed, the "Faith & Freedom Coalition," is the direct successor to Reed's original "Christian Coalition," which in its early days focused heavily on voter suppression.
1988 A memorial set up outside the front wall of the old US Embassy to commemorate the commandos who died during the attack at Tet, 1968, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 6, 2017
The Last Viet Nam War: Who Won?" Ken Burns' self-styled documentary, "The Viet Nam War," has set off a large number of commentaries, on the film and the accompanying book, on the War, on the U.S. role, on the aftermath, and etc. One question about the horror (primarily for the people of Indo-China, most especially Viet Nam) that isn't often asked is "who won?" The conventional wisdom is that the U.S. lost. This column presents the case that the U.S. won.
Trump and Putin at Helsinki, 16 July 2018. What WERE they talking about for 90 minutes, after which Trump tore up the interpreter's notes.  Hopefully she stashed away some unofficial ones, for release at a later date., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 3, 2020
Trump and Treason? Really?" There is increasing speculation that Trump, facing both a series of for him insurmountable problems and declining poll numbers (much more important to him than the problems) will "pull a Johnson" and decline to run for re-election. Previously I speculated that given the legal problems that he would face upon leaving office, he would resign, and leave the country. Now, given the possible treason charge that becomes more likely.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg at her confirmation hearing. If she had survived a few more weeks, history would have been different., From WikimediaPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 5, 2022
Justice Alito, Abortion Rights, and the "Republican-Christian Alliance Party's 'Morality Amendment' " Unless something quite remarkable happens, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon reverse "Roe v. Wade." Any state that wants to can criminalize abortion. In my 1996 fictional future history book "The 15% Solution," a Republican-Christian-Alliance Party in 2005 amends the Constitution to, among other things, illegalize abortion. This chapter presents that amendment and a further discussion of it and what it meant for the country.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Permanent War and the U.S. Military-Industrial Complex Permanent War is built into the fabric of the U.S. economy. This column focuses on bringing back a column about the first post-Cold War enterprise, the BushCheney War on Iraq, designed to perpetuate this state well into the 21st century, with Russia as principal enemy. Trump would not be able to change that situation even if he wanted to. Today, he seems to have fully signed on to Russia-is-the-enemy US ruling class needs.
U.S. Constitution - Illustration, From ImagesAttr
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Why "Torture Doesn't Work" Doesn't Work, Part 1: Torture and the U.S. Constitution Tortre doesn't for intelligence gathering either from people who have no intelligence to share (like many of the unfortunates confined to Guantanamo for 10 years or more, or from those trained to resist it. Torture has plenty of other uses, which we shall get to in Part 2 of this series. But in the meantime "it doesn't work" doesn't work as a prohibition for US torturers. "Its use is unconstitutional does."
USACE Patrol Boat Hocking heads toward lower Manhattan on 9-11. One of several hundred vessels of all types that headed toward lower Manhattan on that day to rescue 1000's of civilians from the area., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 13, 2023
"9/11" - Revisit, Again As I say at the beginning of this column, on occasion at this time of year I do a "9/11" column, comprised of excerpts from some of the fairly voluminous texts that I have published on the subject over the years, plus some additional thoughts about that Day and its sequelae.
(On the left) My dear friend; (On the right) My dear stooge., From WikimediaPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 18, 2021
The Steele Dossier and the J. Mayer Analysis: Revisited The Steele Dossier is back in the news. ThTrump/Barr stooge Durham is trying to make something out of it --- that it is nothing. Back in 2018 I wrote a column on the controversy based on a lengthy New Yorker article (are there any that are not lengthy) by Jane Mayer that concluded that there is much in the Steele Dossier that is a) true and b) of value. Here I reproduce parts of that column with some additional commentary.
From flickr.com: Trump-Putin Love.  No further comment is necessary., From Images
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 9, 2018
The Ruling Class and Donald Trump: Reaping the Whirlwind This column is about the back-and-forth relationship between Trump and the economically dominant sector of the U.S ruling class. It is currently not good for the latter. In my view, if Trump doesn't swing back, he will be gone.
.You, a senior staffer, Jared?. says the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to himself. .OMG!., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 30, 2018
"Trump-Russia:" Qui Bono?" "Trump-Russia." A) I think that it's real and B) the primary beneficiaries of it, at least up to now, have been the Trump/Repub./Fascists. For while the media is so focused on the investigation and its ramifications, the Rightists have been able to push forward with their agenda, full steam ahead.
Map of Israel and the Occupied Territories. It's a small country.  Notice how tiny Gaza is., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 12, 2023
On the Gaza Crisis, 2023 (1): Primarily on the Historical Background of Zionism First is a lengthy quote from a New York Times Op-Ed dealing the risks on both sides for the current conflict. Then it presents some of the historical background for the current situation, focusing first on European political anti-Semitism, then on Zionism, and then on how the two forces combined to produce the still on-going crisis that has been Israel-Palestine. It concludes with a colloquy that I had with a friend on it.
From ImagesAttr
(18 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 31, 2018
Sex, Sin, and Abortion Rights Over the last several years the Roman Catholic Church has found itself confronted with a wide variety of scandals that involve sex and what Catholics describe as sins of one sort of another. This makes the fact that the Church and its right-wing non-Catholic Christian allies want to criminalize abortion on religious grounds an even more outrageous position than it already is. And that is what this column is about.
John C. Calhoun Statue -- State Capitol Columbia (SC) 2012.  It is entirely appropriate that a statue of Calhoun, the 19th century's most prominent supporter and theoretician of slavery, should stand in front of the State House of the first Secession Stat, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 22, 2013
Ted Cruz and "Rise Again:" The Creation of the Modern Nullification Movement Ted Cruz has drifted into the political background --- for the time-being. But given his powerful, Koch Brothers-led, money backing and the swooning far-right supporters who just love him, he'll be back. And he will be back when the next opportunity comes for him to lead the Modern Nullification effort. Thus this little essay on the history of Nullification and what the structure of its modern form is.
Bernie Sanders, From FlickrPhotos
(43 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Bernie Sanders' "Democratic Socialism" The true Left in the United States could use Bernie's platform to say to the workers and their allies, "we are going to need something quite different from the present form of state/government if we are ever going to catch up even with the still-capitalist countries of Europe."
Stab-in-the-back postcard (sent around Germany, just like the lynchings postcards were sent around the U.S., for decades buzzflash.com/articles/ss-guards-at-play-lynching-and-donald-trump?rq=Jonas)., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 1, 2021
"Trump and the Rigged Election: 'The Stab in the Back' " This article offers an overview of the Trump/Trumpite "rigged-stolen election" strategy.
Ron DeSantis.  What?  Eating too much of Trump's s__t, Ron?, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 6, 2021
Why Anti-Pandemic Control: from the Right The Trumpublican Party has carried out a consistently anti-COVID-spread, public-health-based, control program since the day that President Biden took office. This column examines some of the reasons why they have adopted that policy. Oh yes. You will be happy to know that in addition to Trump, Florida's champion super-spreader-all-by-himself Gov. Ron DeSantis is also featured.
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin), From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 4, 2015
The Nature of the State in the United States, and the Political Duopoly that Controls it This column is about the nature of the State, and the Political Duopoly that controls it in the United States.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 8, 2012
9/11 Revisited --- Again As is my wont, over the years I have visited and revisited various aspects of the subject of 9/11. About a month after the official 2012 anniversary of the tragedy, the subject appears to be worth yet another visit, especially considering two very important articles were published on what the Cheney/Bush Administration was told about the al Qaeda threat and to what they chose to pay attention, published last month.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 17, 2017
The Serialization (10) of The 15% Solution: Chap. 6: The First Hague Inaugural Address (Part 1) This chapter presents the First Inaugural Address of Jefferson Davis Hague, who would become the first fascist President of the United States and then The New American Republics. This installment presents Part 1 of that chapter. In it, President Hague makes it clear that under the leadership of himself and the newly formed "Republican-Christian Alliance," the course is being set to make the United States a "Christian Nation."
Anti-Trump Rally 2016 | Union Square, Manhattan, New York No. | Flickr683 Ã-- 1024 - 277k - jpg, From GoogleImages
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 10, 2017
Trump and Gen. Kelly: What is He There For?" Why Gen. Kelly? Why now? What will likely happen? This column presents several possible alternative outcomes.
Sears Roebuck & Co. letterhead, 1907.
(Sorry. Could not find an image of one of the catalog covers.), From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 23, 2023
Sears Roebuck and Co. and the Stony Brook U. Sch. Of Med.: A Reminisce This column is not about politics. It is about my various connections, since childhood, with what once was the greatest retailing company in the United States, Sears Roebuck. I had fun writing this one. I hope that you will have some fun reading it.
Expulsion of the Russian envoy to the Holy See Felix von Meyendorff by Pope Pius IX. He didn't like Russian envoys any more than he liked women having control over their own bodies., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 30, 2020
The Destruction of Abortion Rights and the Rise of Religious Authoritarianism Abortion rights for women without State interference for reasons other than legitimate, non-interfering medical safety, is once again coming before the Supreme Court. The openly avowed objective of those bringing these cases is the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which would allow states to totally illegalize abortion. This is discussed in the context of the introduction of religious authoritarianism into U.S. civil life.
Rick Santorum caricature, From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 4, 2015
Rick Santorum: Back for a Second Try Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who made an early splash before fading fast in the GOP primaries in 2012, is back for another go. Despite the fact that he is very unlikely to win the GOP Presidential nomination or even the Vice-Presidential offering, he is an important symbol for and of the GOP Religious Right, which is becoming more dangerous with each passing day.
From flickr.com: Trump.  Well, apparently if some in the Repub. ruling class wing have their way, it could end this way., From Images
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 12, 2018
'Anonymous' and the Ruling Class The now famous Op-Ed by "Anonymous" appeared in The New York Times on Sept. 5, 2018. By the very next day, The Times was publishing letters taking a variety of positions on both the process of publishing it and the content of the piece itself. For me "Anonymous" is not so much concerned about Constitutional government but rather with Trump's style and with his latterly divergence from traditional Repub. foreign policy.
Tea Party tax day protest: modern Republicanism, encapsulated., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 19, 2015
The Repubs.: Why they do what they do Want to know why the Repubs. do what they do? It all comes down to further building up the military-industrial complex and the unregulated destruction of any and all commerical, industrial, financial, and environmental regulation.
Picture of a German soldier cutting a Polish man's beard - Oskar Schindler's Deutsche Emaillewaren-Fabrik (German Enamelware Factory).  Oh what fun, for the guard., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 2, 2020
Trump and Lynching: An Historical Comparative Analysis This column is about Nazi extermination camp guards "having fun," about US army guards "having fun" at Abu Ghraib, about Southern lynching mobs having "fun," from the beginnings of slavery in the 17th century to just beyond the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1965, to Trump's use of the term to describe the impeachment process which is gradually enveloping his Presidency. Fortunately, for him this time around it's not "fun
Alonzo Cushing Marker -- The Angle Gettysburg National Military Battlefield (PA) 2011.  The flag of true patriots in the First U.S. Civil War, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 25, 2015
The Charleston Massacre, the Confederate Battle Flag, and the Coming Second Civil War This column covers several subjects. One which has been little discussed is the true meaning of the Confederate Battle Flag, as stated most forthrightly by its designer, one William T. Thompson. He introduced the flag in 1863, in part because the various flags used before then "looked too similar to the Union flag."
Bush Administration Iraq War Criminals?  And they're the ones being interviewed round the clock on the current Iraq/Syria tragedy by the so-called .liberal media?., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 3, 2014
Frank Rich, the War on Iraq, and the Myth of the "Liberal Media" Ten years ago Frank Rich wrote one of the best books on the Bush/Cheney War on Iraq. Entitled "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" it took the cover off the Bush/Cheney lies that led the United States into the most disastrous war the nation has ever been engaged in. In a recent column Rich discusses how the "liberal media" climbed on board. My column explores how that was not the first time the "liberal media" did such a thing.
Hrh Princess Elizabeth in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, April 1945.  Yes, she really did this, and I recall seeing her during the war on the Buckingham Palace balcony in a similar uniform., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 15, 2022
On the Passing of Queen Elizabeth, II: Some lighter thoughts (for the most part) For the most part, this column does not deal with the many serious and negative elements of the the British Empire which this monarch represented. Rather, until its ending, the column is about some personal recollections of London and some interesting (to me at any rate) bits on UK history. At the end it treats of the very serious story about how this young lady actually came to be Queen: a not pretty historical accident.
High Surf At Waimea Bay January 14, 2018.  Obviously, a nice Democratic wave., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 17, 2018
A Blue Wave? Not if the Repubs. Can Help It There is a largely expected "Blue Wave" coming for the 2018 mid-terms, especially in the House. This column discusses a Repub. strategy to prevent that from happening that goes back to the late 1980s.
American Mussolini (well, at least wanna-be)., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 15, 2018
Announcing the Serialization, Continued, of: The 15% Solution: How the Repub. Religious Right Took Control of the U.S.: I first began this Serialization, for OpEdNews, of my book "The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022: A Futuristic Novel," just about a year ago. I got through Chapter 6, Part 1 of the series. Then for a variety of reasons I brought a halt to the project. Now I am re-starting it, from the beginning, with the full intention of seeing through to the end, sometime in 2019.
Bookcover-1880-Marr-German uber Juden. The beginning of political anti-Semitism,  in Europe, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 3, 2023
Anti-Semitism Is the Default Hate This column presents a) a brief history of antisemitism since before the Common Era, the development of political anti-Semitism on late 19th century Europe, the current adoption of central elements of anti-Semitic propaganda in the wide-spread attacks that a wide variety of Republican politicians are launching against the upcoming trial of the "Stormy Daniels [and maybe Karen McDougall]" case against Trump in New York City.
Yellow canary, Crithagra flaviventris, at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape, South Africa, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 7, 2023
A Selection of Tweets from 2023 As is my wont, every once in a while I share with you folks a selection of Tweets that I have posted on my Twitter (now X) site (access details below) in the previous six months or so. And so, here is one such a collection, for 2023.
Ron DeSantis & Kari Lake: What a Team!, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 2, 2023
The First Inaugural Address of President Ron DeSantis This column predicts that (A), as previously noted, Trump will get indicted at the Fed. level and will flee the country. B) DeSantis will get the Republican nomination. C) DeSantis will win. The column then offers a draft text for an inaugural address that DeSantis would deliver on Dec. 25, 2024. That text is drawn from the first version (1996) of my book "The 15% Solution: How the Repub. Relig. Right Took Control, 1981-2022.
Britain has seen the rise of UKIP, while the Continent has its own ultra-right formations on the move., From ImagesAttr
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Do You Want Fascism to Come to the U.S. Sooner, or Later? The closer we get to the election, the more Trump is attracting major elements of the ruling class. They may not like his style, but they surely like his policies when it comes to further corporate and individual tax cuts, fracking, opening up Federal lands to energy exploration and exploitation, the elimination of as much environmental and economic regulation as possible.
Middle coat of arms of the French Republic. I could not find an illustration of the Roman fasces as used by Mussolini, but here is one of how it was by the Republique Francaise(!), From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 22, 2023
On Fascism: Its Definition in its Historical Context, for 2023, Part 1 This is one of my periodic columns on fascism, its definition(s) and history. (You find links for some of the previous ones in the body of the text. As some of you know, I published my first, and very extensive, text on the subject, "The 15% solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022," in 1996. The 3rd Version was published in 2013. It is available on Amazon (as advertised on OpEdNews.
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 18, 2011
Ask Newt Gingrich So Newt is all of a sudden No. 1. Even though a few months ago, while he was off on a Mediterranean Cruise with his darling Callista, his staff summarily left him. But he is back, without much of a "ground game." But anyway, one measure of whether he is serious or not will be his willingness to engage in serious debate. Here is a list of questions one might ask about some of his positions that are to some not so well-known.
Donald Trump. I bet you thought that I was going to pick a really nasty picture, didn't you? (And there are plenty of those.)  Well, fooled ya', From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 20, 2022
Trump's '7 Magic Tricks' as Illustrated by his '11-page Letter' I have previously described Trump's Six (now seven) "Magic Tricks." This column illustrates in detail how he uses them in the "11-Page Letter" that he recently sent to the House "Jan. 6" Committee.
Zan Zig performing with rabbit and roses.  And then came Trump., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Donald Trump, the Trumpidemic2020©, and His Magical Thinking, Part 2 This is the second in a three-part series on Trump and his Magic Show. It explains each of the six elements of his Box of Magic Tricks to be used against humans in some detail. They are: The Protectors; "Always attack; Never Defend;" When all else fails, sue; Never be responsible to anyone; All adversaries are enemies: don't negotiate, just crush them with; You are History's Greatest Con Man. But uh oh this time it's a virus
Donald Trump piñata by Dalton Avalos Ramirez.  Hey.  He called it!, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 10, 2015
From Millard Fillmore to Donald Trump: Nativism and the GOP This column, on the nativist history of the Republican Party and Donald Trump, was originally written in mid-June. The "reality of Trump" has not changed. As for the reality of the essence of the Repubs. --- essentially racist and xenophobic, but somehow hoping to hide it and reveal it only by dog-whistle rhetoric --- it hasn't changed either. Which in the light of Trump, makes for some real difficulty for the Repub. leaders.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
The Democrats--as the veiled party of the capitalist class--have played the pretense game of political choice with the GOP to perfection, always presenting themselves as an alternative to the rightwing barbarism evidence by the Republicans., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Trump, the Right-Ward Imperative, and the Republican Party The Republican Party has become the open captive of the Rightward Imperative. It is moving in a direction that is increasingly dangerous for the future of the country: one in which fascism could be imposed through Constitutional means.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
If Trump hadn't had the bone spurs, he could have had a uniform too., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, October 28, 2018
Trumpite Governance, 2018-21, if there is no 'Blue Wave' in 2018 This column is about the gradual development of 21st century Functional Fascism under the Trumpites, faster if the Repubs. maintain control of the Congress, more slowly if they don't. But they will continue to press forward, even if they lose the House. That is because that is the goal of the ruling class sector they represent.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 2, 2012
The Core Values of a President Romney It is becoming increasingly apparent that Mitt Romney will win the Presidency. He appears to be ahead in the popular vote. Whether he will actually also finish ahead of the President in the electoral vote count seems to be becoming immaterial. If he is to be dealt with successfully, it is vital that we understand that, yes indeed, as hard that may be to see on the surface, Romney does have a set of core values, considered here
John_D._Rockefeller_1917_painting  [Www.Etoile.App] At one time known as the .most hated man in America,. he did then represent the Ruling Class of the time., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 1, 2022
The U.S. Ruling Class and the Republo-fascist Party Republo-fascism is being commented on/analyzed by an increasing number of authorities. Perhaps less commented on is how the U.S. ruling class is served by the Republican Party, and how it is dealing with increasing urgency with the oncoming demographic changes in the U.S. population, which might well undercut its current control of the electoral system. This column considers the growing influence of Republo-fascism.
Donald Trump, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, August 8, 2016
The Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump: Hoisted by his Own Petard -- The Briefest of Histories It was a marvelous irony, was it not, that they achieved the objective of getting rid of Trump by getting to the tax returns that he had indeed very good reasons for not wanting to be made public, while at the same time he was using the Internal Revenue Service to pursue personal objectives against others. Indeed, hoisted by his own petard he was.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Trumpite Foreign Policy: Determined by Campaign Slogans Here it is in a nutshell. The mystery of Trump's foreign policy revealed. It's all based on campaign slogans. Yes indeed, the man does stick to his words (well at least certain of them).
The controversial (at the time) Goldwater ran in part on his opposition to the Civil Rights Act., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 11, 2016
Racism -- Aided by Democrats Numerous Betrayals -- Wins Again: The Duopoly at Work Clinton did not touch on the class basis of Trumpism. She did not hammer away at how every single one of Trump's policies, from further cutting taxes for the rich to ending regulation of the environment and the economy as we know it, benefits those of the owning class who put that white working class exactly where it is.
Citroen 7 CV.  Yes, folks.  This was a very popular front (and a great, actually progressive car for its time), in France, both before and after World War II., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 23, 2018
The Popular Front: Once Again, it's Time The Popular Front, that exists in this country without the name, has to be followed to the voting booth and to the extent that it can be strengthened in these last two weeks before election day, that must be done. It means voting Democratic on THIS election day. Does that mean being a Democrat? Not necessarily. I hold no illusions about the Democratic Party. But right here, and right now, it means voting that way.
to celebrities
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 22, 2015
Let's Hear it for Prohibition: an Interim Way Out of the "Drug War" Mess, 2 Under the "liberal" Gov. Mario Cuomo, New York State built more prison beds than have all the previous governors combined. The "liberal" Pres. Bill Clinton signed the 1994 "Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act," introduced in the Senate by the "liberal" Joe Biden. That Act is now recognized as a major driver of mass incarceration, especially of minorities.
Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Liberty University. Could  it be that this is where it all began?  Oh yes, that's Falwell Jr.  Perfect bed-fellows, don't you think?, From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Trump's American Christian Nation Party (ACNP)???" There has recently been speculation that Trump may be trying to form a political alliance with major elements of the Christian Right, in order to form a Religio-Republican Party for the future. In 1996 I published a book which projected exactly this kind of development, which would be consummated (if I may use that term) by 2008. This column presents an inaugural address that just such a religio-Republican Pres. might make.
Ron DeSantis & Kari Lake: What a Team!, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 16, 2023
Ron DeSantis: On the Ukraine Conflict Ron DeSantis is running for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. That is perfectly clear. What is also clear is that he is running first and foremost on race and racism (see the discussion of "WOKE" in the column). To try to "be like Trump" without getting too close, and also to get closer to the "MAGA base," which doesn't like current U.S. Ukraine policy, he has lined up with Tucker C. to become a critic of it.
Trump.  This one says it all!, From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 5, 2018
The Day After* Tomorrow's election is much more like a plebiscite on Trump than a typical U.S. mid-term. Thus it is unique in U.S. history. This column explains why.
Fred Trump in the 1980s.  It's all his fault, literally and figuratively., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 17, 2023
History's Greatest Con Man, Redux Very briefly, the theme of this article is that there are not an old Trump and a new Trump. There is only one Trump, and he is VERY dangerous.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Mitt Romney's Core Values It has been said, or at least implied, that Mitt Romney doesn't have any core values. However, he does. Only they are not concerning with the policy issues facing the US people for this election. They are far deeper than tht. And it is about them that we need to be deeply concerned.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 15, 2021
Ross Douthat: Religious Authoritarianism at its Best (and Indeed Worst) This column is about the Religious Right's continuing drive to declare that the matter of "when life begins" (and their's is clearly determined by religious doctrine) should be made a matter of law, and following that determination the practice of abortion should be criminalized. This column deals with this matter and the broader one of the role of religion in public life, from the perspective the New York Times' Ross Douthat.
Jefferson Memorial from across the Tidal Basin. For the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, but only for White People., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 22, 2021
U.S. History: A Trail of Big Lies --- of Which the Last Two are Different This columns proposes that the history of the U.S. can be seen in part as the development of policies and programs based on a series of Big Lies. As it happens, many of them can be traced back to the development of the "original sin," the Doctrine of White Supremacy, in the 17th century. The most use of the most prominent among them are traced down to this very day. Also discussed are two current big lies, based on mythology.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 1, 2013
The Abortion Wars: Opening a Second Front It is proposed here to broaden the battle on behalf of freedom of choice in the outcome of pregnancy beyond the woman's right to choose, using the issue of religious authoritarianism. This would make the battle everyone's, not just women's. The Right is manuevering to get Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court again. The political battle on behalf of religious freedom must start now, if it is to have any chance to prevail.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 27, 2023
Israel: Fighting Six Wars, Plus One: A Civil War This column begins with a list/summary of the "Six Wars" that Israel is currently fighting, as described by the long-time Israel/Middle East correspondent/commentator, Tom Friedman. After describing the current facts-on-the-ground vis-a-vis Gaza-Plus, I go on to describe a seventh war for Israel, which may well occur if there is no change in the national government's policies towards the Arab peoples, domestic and foreign.
The Chinese Must Go - Magic Washer - 1886 anti-Chinese US cartoon. Right up the Republicans' alley, right now., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 19, 2021
Xenophobia and Racism: They're in the Republican Party's DNA The modern Republican Party, more accurately known as the Trumpublican(C) Party, is clearly running on xenophobia (anti-immigrant, right now mainly Latinx and the "China virus" and worse) and racism: massive anti-Black voter suppression campaigns. There is some thought that these are relatively new elements in Republican doctrine. They are not. In fact they go back to the Party's origins in the 19th cent., as elucidated here.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Revisit - Trump Russia, 1: The Steele Dossier/J. Mayer In light of the publication of the "Durham Report," yet another attempt by Bill Barr to do away with "Trump-Russia," I am republishing three of the columns that I wrote on the subject around the time the series of events, populations, and investigations (see the "Mueller Report") were taking place. This one focuses on the not truly discredited, although that term is frequently-used, "Steele Dossier," not used much by the FBI
Maurycy Gottlieb - Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur. And then there are we secular Jews --- all of us Jews, to be sure., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 4, 2022
A Secular Humanist Jew's Thoughts on Yom Kippur: On Atheism and Theism, and on Religion and Political Religion Please note I have published much the same column twice before on these pages. Why again, now? Because I think that it is important to reiterate the following thoughts. I am a Secular Humanist Jew. I have no problem with persons of any religion who believe in God or Gods (e.g., the 1 billion or so Hindus). What I have a problem with is political relgion which attempts to force its religious beliefs on me through the law.
Mongoose collection. No, its' not a meerkat, nor does it fly., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 13, 2022
On What Really Happened to Create the "Cuban Missile Crisis' There has been a recent threat from Russia (or maybe not so much, to use "tactile" nuclear weapons in their War on Ukraine. One response to the threat, of whatever sincerity and severity, has been to President Kennedy and the "Cuban Missile Crisis." This column tells the real story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which centered on Khrushchev's ability to to thwart Kennedy's planned invasion of the island. JFK a hero? Nah!!
Afghanistan: Right at the center of the Afro-Eastern Hemisphere, From WikimediaPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 22, 2021
Some Comments in the Light of the Afghanistan Withdrawal As the U.S. prepares to leave Afghanistan (finally), this column offers some thoughts that I had in the past on certain aspects of the modern history of that nation since the 1970s, and some comments on the current situation as well.
The .Ja. vote.  What we will be getting next time around, if Trump is still President at 12:01PM, Jan. 20, 2021. (Notice that I didn't say .re-elected as Resident..), From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 21, 2020
What is the Most Important Election in U.S. History?" There have been many highly critical elections in U.S. history, such as those of 1828, 1860, 1864, 1932 and 1940. Of those, up until now those of 1860 and 1864 have always been in contention for the top two slots (in the "most important" contest). In this column, I argue that, hands-down, the upcoming election is THE most important, without question. I give some historical background on each of the three.
My Fair Lady Film Poster, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 9, 2019
Why do the Repubs. Stick with Trump?" In our time, the question is being increasingly asked, by Democrats, by Democratic Socialists and Social Democrats (and there is a distinction there), by Greens, by ex-Republicans, and even by some who are still Republicans, "Why can't the Republicans leave Trump behind?" This column attempts to answer that question, with the one reasonably original thought on the reason why offered at its very end.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Bridge of Spies (2015) It is made to appear that the spy plane flight by Francis Gary Powers was the first or one of the first of its kind. Actually, the program had been underway off and on for several years. The Soviets knew about it but had no weapon that could reach the very high-flying U-2s until they had the one that brought down Powers. Then, there is the acting, starring that grand actor-with-great-range, Tom Hanks.
President Trump Clarifies His Remarks, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Trump, Racism, and the Republican Party Trump's racism is nothing new for the Republican Party, going back to Nixon's "Southern Strategy." Trump has just taken the hood off.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 26, 2023
Revisit - Trump Russia, 3: The Steele Dossier/J. Mayer This is the third of this series of re-visits to columns that delved into "Trump-Russia." The re-visiting was stimulated by the last (and presumably THE last, but hey, you never know) attempt by Bill Barr to bury-distort the outcomes of the various investigations into "Trump-Russia. Ba was very successful in burying the Iran-Contra-Scandal for H.W. Bush. It remains to be seen just how successful he is this time around.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Donald Trump: Turning the Corner Towards Fascism (But First Let's Define It) It is scant consolation for a public cornered into a no-real-choice situation, that the other presumptive standard-bearer for the duopoly, Hillary Clinton, is equally, perhaps more reliably, committed to defending the global and domestic interests of the super rich.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
Trump visits Israel, and can't keep his hands to himself., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 18, 2017
Israel-Palestine: Trumped, Part 2: Likud, the Repubs., and their Respective Class Interests This Part 2 of the current series on Trump-Israel-Likud-Jerusalem, partially based on a previously published column
Viet Nam Memorial: They never knew what they actually gave their lives for., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 15, 2014
The War on Viet Nam, the Coming "Official History," and the US Victory in that War Did you think that the United States lost the War on Viet Nam? Think again.
George Floyd Memorial at Chicago Avenue and 38th Street., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 5, 2020
Institutional Racism, the George Floyd Murder, and the Fascist Threat The George Floyd murder is another in the never-ending series of police murders of black people, a modern version of lynching. This one, as is very well-known, has brought forward an ongoing series of demonstrations in city after city all over the country. There has been some occasional looting and arson, not associated with the marchers. Trump wants to call in the military. This column deals with the issues conjointly.
Chaos, the cat.  But not any of mine., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Trump, COVID-19, the Election, and Planned Chaos This column is a presentation of an hypothesis of mine that the chaos that has gripped the nation since Trump and his administration refused to employ the standard, well-known, fairly easy-to-implement measures that have worked in many other countries, that could have prevented the development of the Trumpidemic2020(C) was planed. Far out? Yes. But given how the Trumps, and Barr, think, possible. Read on.
Igor Sechin, Vladimir Putin, Rex Tillerson, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 19, 2016
The Dominant Sector of the Ruling Class Takes Full Control, Part I: A Brief History of the Ruling Class in the U.S. Trump wins. No one except perhaps his most die-hard supporters expected that. I certainly didn't. But he did. And President he will be. Just what sort of President he will be is another matter. A real one, or a Twitter-hound who would really rather be doing something else -- like making some real money now selling his name around the world?
Bill Clinton, From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 25, 2016
The Bill Clinton Legacy Clinton's policies led to long-range disaster on the domestic side, while Bush's led to long-range disaster on the foreign policy side. No wonder they seem to get along so well with each other when they meet at various galas. Indeed, there is every chance that the first Clinton Presidency could be an overture to a second one. And not an overture by either Mozart or Rossini, either.
The book's cover, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 13, 2017
The Serialization of: The 15% Solution: How the Repub. Religious Right Took Control of the U.S.: 1981-2022: New Introd This is the second installment of the full serialization of Steven Jonas' book "The 15% Solution." Written in my (SJ's) voice, it is Part I of the New Intro. for the 3rd version of the book, which was originally published in 1996. The balance of the book is in the voice of its fictional author, Jonathan Westminster, and purportedly published in 2048, on the 25th Anniversary of the Restoration of Constitutional Democracy in US.
Mitch McConnell.  Mitch McConnell. Why is this man smiling? Because since his declaration of total non-cooperation with Pres. Obama is 2008, he is Congressional Repub. most responsible for the progression to Functional Fascism., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 22, 2018
"21st Century Fascism, Part 4: How To 'Repeal and Replace' Trumpite 21st Century Functional Fascism -- Some Thoughts This is the fourth and final column, for the series, on Trumpite/Repub. Functional Fascism. It contains some thoughts both on policy and practice that can be employed in the massive battle currently underway to rid our nation of its totally malign presence.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Building a New 'Citizenship-for-all' Party in Israel; from a column by Gershon Baskin This column is a follows the one of April 28 which concerned what I think is the real issue causing such political turmoil in Israel, that is the right-wing determination to follow through on their long-time desired policy of Arab Expulsion. The column discusses the citizenship clause in the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Now a party has been formed based on it, described here by the Israeli columnist Gershon Baskin.
No, they didn't lock up the drinkers, only the importers and purveyors., From ImagesAttr
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 13, 2014
David Brooks on Pot: Let's Return to Good Old-Fashioned Prohibition David Brooks made a series of great arguments concerning the Recreational Mood-Altering Drugs and how to deal with their usage. (In terms of the prevalence of that usage, and the health/social harms caused, that list begins with tobacco and alcohol.) In the end, he presents a great list of reasons for returning to 1920s Prohibition, which list is discussed here.
Free photo Trump Caricature Usa Donald Choice - Max Pixel720 Ã-- 720 - 74k - jpg, From GoogleImages
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Trump on Afghanistan Trump on Afghanistan. Self-contradictory? Yes. New on form --- for how long? New on content? How is he going to get around this major reversal of a major campaign promise (yet again)? Some comments.
From flickr.com: President Trump's Trip Abroad.  Ah, a moment alone.  What should we talk about? MacDougal? Stormy?  Lad, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Short Takes 1: On Trump-stuff and the Florida Shooting/Gun Control With this column I am beginning an occasional series of what I will call "Short Takes." That is, instead of a lengthy column on a single theme, I will be offering a series of thoughts, briefly stated, on a variety of themes. In length, they will more often than not be like Tweets, but fully spelled out, which Tweets by myself and others often are not.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 5, 2013
Permanent War, 3: False Flags, Possible False Flags, Chemical/Biological Weapons, and Away We Go: Some History In the history of the U.S., going back to the 19th century, there have been a number of instances of false flag or possible false flag events that have taken the nation into a foreign war. There have also been a number of instances, also going back to the 19th century, in which the U.S. has used chemical/biological weapons. This column briefly examines some of these instances.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 25, 2017
The Serialization of The 15% Solution: How the Repub. Relig. Right Took Control of the US: 1981-2022, Section 1: Chap. 2 This is chap. 2 of "The 15% Solution." Among other things, the real 15% Solution, as it was developed in the late 1980s by a now defunct organization called "The Christian Coalition," is spelled out in detail. It was the original blueprint for the Voter Suppression operation that the Repubs. have been carrying out with a vengeance in this century.
Was it? If we ever know, it will be a long time from now., From FlickrPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 22, 2019
The Bush-Cheney War on Iraq, in the Context of the 9/11 Disaster July 19 was the 13th anniversary of the launch of the Bush-Cheney War on Iraq. On his Al-Awda-News my good friend Sami Joseph republished an outstanding column by Jeremy Hammond on the immediate run-up to it that was published in the Foreign Policy Journal on Sept. 12, 2012. In that context, I thought to revisit a column that I published in 2004 on the Bush-Cheney response to the 9-11 disaster and their War on Iraq.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 23, 2012
Why "Torture Doesn't Work" Doesn't Work: Dealing with "Zero Dark Thirty" I have visited this major blot upon the US escutcheon a number of times over the past five years (1-3). One would have thought that it was dead and buried, along with the Cheney-Bush regime. But now we are forced to revisit the subject by the new propaganda-shtick, Ooops, sorry, I mean movie, "Zero Dark Thirty." Most of the criticism is from the "torture doesn't work" perspective. This column views the issue differently.
The Infiltrator, with Bryan Cranston in the lead role, as US agent Bob Mazur. The superbly versatile John Leguizamo (r) provides vital support., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 2, 2016
The Infiltrator; a Drug Story Despite both a wall of sorts and an active Border Patrol the drug trade continues, virtually unimpeded. Would a new "Infiltrator" stop it? It is no more likely that that will happen than it did in the 1980s. As that drug lord character in the movie said, as long as there is demand, there will be supply.
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States. No Dershowitz' or McConnells there., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 6, 2020
Two New Constitutional Rules: Of Dershowitz and of McConnell Dershowitz, McConnell, and the Trumpublican majority in the Senate have amended the Constituion without bothering to go through the Amendment process. This column discusses the new "Dershowitz" and "McConnell" rules.
Carter Page MSNBC June 2017 YouTube. One thing about him; he was always smiling (and of course he now (2023)seems to have completely disappeared off the radar)., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 25, 2023
"Revisit - Trump Russia, 2: Carter Page and the Trump/Russia Connection - Revisited" This is the 2nd of a series of 3 re-runs of columns on "Trump-Russia," which happening happened to lead to the Mueller Investigation, which Barr-Durham have been trying, indirectly, so hard to discredit (even though Fox"News" recently has been caught with its "News"-pants down around its ankles). At any rate, this column is about a one-time key figure in the drama, one Carter Page, who had a Russia connection back to 2013.
Ted Cruz - Caricature, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 14, 2013
Ted Cruz's America Ted Cruz frequently talks about "American freedom." Beyond his sloganeering, based on the policies that he advocates, we can get a very good picture of what he is really about. And that's what this column is about.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 25, 2017
The Serialization (7) of The 15% Solution: Section 2; The History. Chap. 3: The Real Drug War; Part 2 This installment presents the Inaugural Address of the "Last Republican President," elected in 2001. In it he reintroduces the draconian "Drug War." This speech (which I actually wrote in 1994-95, may well be the forerunner of the one the Attorney General Jefferson Davis P.G.T. Beauregard Sessions makes when he relaunches the "drug war," the he is likely to do any day now.
Windmuhlen am Homo Sapiens Museum, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Tribalism, No; Class Struggle, Yes "Tribalism" is an insulting mis-nomer for what is going on in U.S. politics today. Much more apt is the term "class struggle." Of course, class struggle always exists, but now it is coming more into the open, and the two sides, although the Repubs. have by far and away gotten there first, are becoming more organized around it.
President Trump Signs an Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship 
(of QAnon, and US/Nazi propaganda).  Oh are they happy!, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Trump Goes Back to his Box of Magic Tricks As I have detailed more than once in previous columns, Trump has a Box of Six Magic Tricks by which he has managed to live a life and lifestyle that would have brought down just about anyone else who would have tried it. This column applies that analysis to the current situation, in an attempt to explain what might seem otherwise to be a totally inexplicable set of behaviors.
Racistcampaignposter1. Gosh.  Doesn't this just ring a bell? Perfect for those Republo-fascists who speak at conventions of White Supremacists., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Colloquy on 'Critical Race Theory' [the racists' substitute term for their own racism] with Rohn Kenyatta Presenting a colloquy between myself and another regular OpEdNews contributor, Rohn Kenyatta, on the matter of race and racism in the history and present politics of the United States.
Fascism is so 1930s.  One can only wish that this saying were true. It isn't., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Will Trump Ignite His Reichstag Fire on January 6? This column, anticipating threats being made against the routine processing of the Elecotral Votes in the U.S. Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, looks at what happened in the German Reichstag on the day, March 23, 1933, that the German Constitution was amended to install Hitler as Dictator (and wouldn't Trump be SOOOO happy with a similar outcome).
20200806 Trump coronavirus quote timeline II - The Guardian.svg., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 19, 2022
The CDC and COVID-19: Trumpian Politics and Policies Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC has issued a statement of the performance of the CDC. both in re the COVID-19 pandemic and the functioning of the agency in general. Neither the words "Trump" nor "previous Administration" appear in her statement. This column begins to address that omission by republishing my very first column on "Trump and COVID." It's no surprise, I'm sure, to learn that there will be more to come.
Ted Cruz, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, April 19, 2015
Enter the GOP, 2016: Not Laughing A number of candidates for the Repub. nomination have already entered the race. They each present certain variants to the common denominator, or at least they try to, to "show their independence" (even though whomever gets the Party's nod will be so dependent upon its big money men and their whims and wishes.)
NBC's The Apprentice put Trump on the map as an
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Trump and the Presidency: An Alternative Scenario? Internal polling, done by the RNC, for Trump doesn't do that sort of thing, could reveal that regardless of what certain polls show, Trump has no chance of winning, even against Hillary Clinton. And Trump doesn't like to lose. Glitter (what's left of it) is coming off the name that he has been living off of over the last 10-20 years at an increasing rate.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
Image created from image crediting, From Images
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 22, 2017
The Serialization (9) of The 15% Solution: Chap. 5: Anderson v. Board of Education "Original Intent," is what we hear about the Supreme Court and its functioning from the Repubs., over and over again. Except when they do not want to hear it, as in "Original Intent" Scalia and "Heller," in which he ignored Supreme Court precedent and also rewrote the 2nd Amendment by hiving off its first clause. In this case, a Repub. Supreme Court recognizes that nowhere in the Constitution is judicial review mentioned.
Confederate Reunion Parade Richmond., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 29, 2023
"Ron DeSantis and the Myth of The 'Lost Cause' " Ron DeSantis is disparately trying to separate himself from the non-Trump pack in the Republican primaries. In doing so, he seems to be trying to emulate Trump-the-racist as clearly as he possibly can, while ignoring the other parts. One technique is going back to the old Southren "Lost Cause" myth. Which is what this column is about.
Torturas en el campo de concentración nazi de Terez-n (República Checa), From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 29, 2014
If "Torture Doesn't Work" Doesn't Work, Why Torture? Torture may not have any use in obtaining intellignce from military personnel, but it does have a long list of other uses. This column discusses the principal ones.
Ron DeSantis, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 2, 2023
The DeSantisization of Public Education, and Developing Modern Republican Policy Ron DeSantis is well on his way to becoming one of the most recognized Republican politicians in the country. And he is doing this, like Trump did, by riding on the rail of racism. But unlike Trump, whose racism was based in his emotions and the culture he grew up in, DeSantis' racism, beginning with a-history and book-banning, is developing into a much more intellectual, and therefore, in my view, a much more dangerous form.
Thomas Piketty imparteix la 25a. edició de la Lliçó d'Economia, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Piketty, Marx, and Lenin For a capitalist economist, Thomas Piketty went far, but just so far. To where he didn't get in his critique of capitalism and its results is the subject of this column.
Ben Carson, From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Ben Carson Takes his Clothes off in Public: It's Not a Pretty Sight Here is a candidate for the Presidency of the United States quoting scripture to defend himself about his lack of knowledge about an issue of vital importance among the Cuban-American community in South Florida. Now we are getting there: using a Biblical passage to justify his lack of knowledge.
Trump. Ah but what?  Well, RT knows., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 28, 2017
Trump Tweets, 2017 This column presents a series of tweets-on-Trump (sounds like a place name in England, no?) that I have posted over the course of the last year.
.Drugs are bad but the drug war is worse..  Note that this was posted by law enforcement personnel, who just happen to refer to .Prohibition.., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 28, 2015
"Let's Hear it for Prohibition: an Interim Way out of the 'Drug War' Mess" This column, on dealing with the "Drug War," is actually the first part of a two-part series, the second part of which was previously posted, on May 22, 2015. Sorree, but in any case, while related, they are sort of stand-alones. This column deals primarily with what the classic "Prohibition" was and how it differs from the "Drug War" in one major, very significant way.
Hitler practiced his speeches in a mirror. Trump obviously spent quite some time rehearsing for this one.  But it ain't funny. folks. It's the face of incipient Republo-fascism, a 21st century version of what I describe below., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 5, 2023
On Fascism: Its Definition in its Historical Context, for 2023, Parts 1 & 2 In this column, I publish in sequence the two consecutive and related columns on the subject of fascism and its definition(s), drawn from the European/Asian experience of the 20th century. The threat in the U.S. is real, supported strongly by that sector of the capitalist ruling class that believes that in order to maintain control of state power, they will need to turn from parliamentary democracy to fascism. This is no drill
Boris Johnson with brother Leo: His
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 30, 2016
Brexit, the Crisis of Capitalism, and Immigration The chickens are coming home to roost for the international capitalist class. And so, Brexit. There are a variety of reasons why many English workers voted to leave, but primary among them, just as in the U.S., is the "immigrant threat." Brexit is going to have an enormous negative impact on the international capitalist ruling class, not just in the United Kingdom.
MLK Memorial. Staring across the Reflecting Pool at Jefferson. What a study in contradictions., From WikimediaPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Some Thoughts on Why the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was Assassinated, when he was Assassinated This column considers what were, in my view, the three principal reasons why Dr. King was assassinated. First, he was beginning to become involved in national politics, at the Presidential-election level. Second, he had come out strongly against the U.S. War on Viet Nam. Third, he was beginning to introduce Marxist-Leninist analysis into his critique of the U.S. politico-economic system. structure. VERY dangerous at all 3.
Gratitude to a Teacher!  We have all had some great ones!, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Why the Attack on Tenure? So it's the "bad teachers" who are responsible for "bad education," and if we could only easily get rid of them, why K-12 education would be so much better! Of course, it's the tenure system that makes teacher firing SO difficult. If administrators, school boards, etc. could just fire teachers willy-nilly, why our schools would get better overnight. Really? This column is about what the attack on tenure is really all about.
Vlepa antify%2C Warszawa %282020%29. It's coming, folks (unless the anti-fascist forces finally start organizing NOW)., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 30, 2021
"The National Plan for Social Peace" It is very possible that the Supreme Court will reverse Roe v. Wade and the states will be left to their own devices vis-a-vis abortion rights. And then, there might be further limitations on civil liberties enacted. I dealt with this issue at length in a book of "future fiction" published in 1996. This column presents an excerpt from the book dealing with such policies in a U.S. successor state, "The New American Republics."
1952 Willie Mays, as I remember him with the New York Giants., From WikimediaPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 1, 2022
On NY Mets Old-Timers Day; First, Some Personal Baseball Fan History This column is about baseball and me, and the New York Giants and the New York Mets, about the greatest Giant of all time, Willie Mays, and the Mets' Old Timers Day celebration watched with my son, Jacob, with whom I had seen so many Mets' games over the years, live and on television. To this very day, we watch Mets games "together" over-the-phone (he lives in another state), when they are broadcast on national television.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 25, 2023
Why Does Trump Go On (and on and on)? [Hint: It's not just his shtick] This column is about the real reason that Trump remains out-in-front of the Republican Pack. Of his patented racism, xenophobia, male-chauvinism, promotion of violence to solve political problems has been out-in-front ever since he came down the "Golden Escalator." But the primary reason why Trump became President and why he remains (for now) at the head of the Republican pack is the corporate money behind him.
George H.W. Bush's Father, Prescott Bush, helped finance Hitler's rise to power., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 12, 2017
The Repubs.' New -- Old -- "New-Trumpian" Base: The Religious Right, Part 1 In every election from 1980 through 2012, win or lose, the Religious Right was a central part of the Republican base. But then came 2016 and the rise of you-know-who. Not exactly an ideal candidate with whom to woo the Religious Right: twice-divorced/thrice-married, a proudly boastful "lady's man," and a former Democrat who had supported abortion and gay rights.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
NATO enlargement.  If you were Russia, wouldn't you feel nervous?  And then add Ukraine? Who is next? Finland?, From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 21, 2022
Ukraine. Some Historical Background, Updated. Plus, a Brief Settlement Proposal This column presents some of the recent history of the present Russia/Ukraine/U.S. conflict. I present it because even though it is recent, it is not widely known. Further, I present some referenced sources that indicate that the West, and the U.S. in particular, did give the Soviet Union guarantees that as they moved their sphere of influence East, NATO would not move to fill in the gaps. Plus I offer a draft peace deal.
March for Choice in Dublin On Saturday 29th. September 2012.  Just imagine. This is now Catholic Ireland.  In the U.S. the Christian Dominionists are on the march, right back to the 16th century., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 20, 2018
The Repubs. and the Rightward Imperative: Gets Them to Trump --- And Then? This column is about how what I call "The Rightward Imperative," operating within the primary system, is what has been driving the Republican Party evermore to the Right, over the last 50 years or so.
First shot marker. Where will it be next time, or has it already been fired, in the U.S. Capitol?, From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 22, 2021
The Coming Second Civil War The Presidency of Donald J. Trump has come to a violent end, fortunately with a small loss of life, so far. But given the creation of a new "Stab=in-the-back" myth, the Trump-inspired insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021 could, when historians look back at this period, mark the beginning of the Second Civil War. And that is what this column is about. (Of course, were that to happen, the nation would have to have survived it.)
Charadrius bicinctus 2 - Boat Harbour. When on the Wikimedia images link I clicked on .Insurrection,. the pic of this cute little bird came up.  So I thought, .why not go with it?., From WikimediaPhotos
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 3, 2021
Investigating the 1-6-21 Insurrection: What are the Republicans Afraid of? There was talk about establishing a House-Senate bi-partisan commission to investigate the capitol riots of 1-6-21 (called an "insurrection" by --- wait for it --- Mitch McConnell. But the same 'ol Mitch blocked the creation of such a commission using the filibuster. This column is about just some of the things that the Repubs. are afraid will come out in any invest. and thus why they would like it confined to the House.
The U.S.S. Constitution, 1803. A different kind. Inalterable., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 22, 2022
Some Further Thoughts on the English Constitution, the Duke of Windsor, and the British Empire This is a follow-up column on last week's on the passing of Great Britain's Queen Eliz. II. It concerns a further consideration of the English Constitution and how various monarchs have violated it from time-to-time, a brief, highly focused critique of the British Empire from an OpEdNews column published by one friend, and some comments of life in England and English cars from another. It's back to current events next week.
Rupert Murdoch - Nuff said., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 19, 2023
"Tomorrow Never Dies: James Bond, Rupert Murdoch, and the Dominion Law Suit There was a James Bond film enititled "The World is Not Enough" in which the lead villain and his media empire were considered by many to be based on Rupert Murdoch and Fox. He of course comes to a bad end. This column reviews the movie and the Dominion Suit. With some help from a few friends like Charlie Sykes, it also comes to the conclusion that the suit, while costing Murdoch money will not cramp his far-right style much.
Ted Cruz: Keeping the U.S. safe for the gunners., From FlickrPhotos
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 26, 2022
On Guns, Mass Slaughter, and the 2nd Amendment The gun control issue is center-in-the-news once again. Once again, the Repubs. will refuse to do anything on the issue, other than calling for "thoughts and prayers" or dealing with "mental health issues" (about which Repubs. do next-to-nothing either). This column covers an issue I have covered before: what the 2nd Amend. actually says about guns. But at the end I note that for the Repubs., it is really all about the money.
(13 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 16, 2012
Is the U.S. in Decline? In The New York Times Sunday Book Review of April 8, 2012, Jonathan Freedland considered two recent books on the above subject, by Zbigniew Brzezinski and Robert Kagan. Interestingly enough, in the past both authors have had major roles to play in the United States' current "Crisis of Global Power" and in creating "The World America Made." This column considers those roles and their outcomes and what the real problems are.
[Unidentified woman resting her arm on a book entitled History of Slavery]  (LOC) This movie brings a very important part of that history alive., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 27, 2013
For Thanksgiving Weekend Viewing: "12 Years a Slave" - A Review "12 Years a Slave" is still playing in certain parts of the country. If you haven't yet seen it, Thanksgiving weekend is a good time to take it in.
Bill Clinton always turned away from what he really did that mattered, and still does., From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 8, 2014
The Clintons, Part I: Bill's Legacy This is the first of a two-parter on the Clintons, past and future. This column discusses Bill's true legacy which, to call it "center-right" is to cosmetize it. Tomorrow I will be posting a column on HRC's possible future, also along the so-called "center-right" pathway.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 14, 2013
The Koch Brothers, Superstorm Sandy, and the Teabaggers Want to know why the Teabaggers are doing their best to kill, or at least vastly reduce, the aid package for the victims of Superstorm Sandy (which was caused at least in part by Global Warming, for which the Koch Brothers and their widely shared policies bear so much responsibility)? Well, here's my take on that one, along with a revealing self-portrait by David Koch.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 28, 2023
Trump May Go Away, but Trumpublicanism will be With Us for a Long Time" When Trump goes away (and I think that that will be sooner than later) will Trumpublicanism go with him? Well, I don't think so, and this column explains why.
Chief Justice John Marshall. The man who knit together the structure of the Supreme Court as we know it, out of whole cloth: opednews.com/articles/Let-s-Hear-it-for-Original-by-Steven-Jonas-Confirmation_Congress_Fascism_Government-200922-612.html, From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 27, 2020
'Religious Freedom' in the Time of Plague This column concerns the Supreme Court decision which permits religious institutions to ignore pubic health measures for dealing with the Trumpidemic2020(C), if those measures really, really interfere, for them, with the "Free Exercise" clause of the 1st Amendment. One analogy considered is that of moving one's bowels into a public water supply, if in so doing they would be sincerely expressing a deeply held religious belief.
Greg Abbott tea party stickers. Don't tread on me when it comes to, say, masks, but I surely can tread on you when it comes to, say, choice in the outcome of pregnancy., From FlickrPhotos
(19 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 27, 2021
No Mandates! Mandates! And the Republican Religious Right Oh the Republican Religious Right, lead by such governors as DeSantis and Abbott, just hate mandates, when it comes to such matters as school attendance, which is simply a mandate imposed if you want your child to go to school, not an everywhere one). But oh yes, they surely do just love mandates when it comes to such matters as a religiously-driven mandate prohibiting choice in the outcome of pregnancy, by the pregnant woman!
Rupert Murdoch - Caricature.  Sorry, I've used the caricature of Murdoch before, but it's the only one I could find., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Don't Get Carried Away by the Results of the 11/8 Elections Briefly, this column looks at the happy-for-now outcome(s) of the recent election, which in many locations rejected Trumpian politics. But it also warns that Republo-fascism is hardly dead. They will be looking for a new headlamp for their on-rushing freight train, but that rush continues to be underway. How to deal with it is a lesson yet to be learned.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 14, 2021
Trump and Fascism: A Retrospective Series, Part 1 For these last six days of the Trump Administration I will be publishing a series of previously published columns on the subject of Trump and fascism. This brief column, the first in this series, is an introduction that I wrote for this series of columns on this subject that appeared first on Buzzflash last year.
US Capitol 1814c., From WikimediaPhotos
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 5, 2021
"Bipartisan Commissions:" 9-11 and the Capitol Riot This is talk of creating a "bi-artisan commission" to investigate the 1/6/21 storming of the Capitol, along the lines of the "bi-partisan" commission that investigated the 9/11 tragedy. There are two problems with this analogy. A) many criticisms of the work of the 9/11 Commission have arisen. B) Any investigation of the riot could not, given that it occurred in support of Trump (e.g., see Trump-flags) possibly be bi-partisan.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 2, 2016
The Three Historical Stages of Anti-Semitism After two millennia of religious, then political, anti-Semitism, both based on myth, we now must confront a new form of anti-Semitism, for which policies of successive right-wing governments of the State of Israel have unfortunately managed to provide a rich base in reality.
Book cover, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Announcing the Serialization of: The 15% Solution: How the Repub. Religious Right Took Control of the U.S.: 1981-2022 This is an introduction to the forthcoming full serialization on OpEdNews of this book. It is by Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, and was published by Trepper & Katz Impact Books (a Division of Punto Press, Brewster, NY, the publisher is my good friend, Patrice Greanville), Copyright, Steven Jonas, 2013. The serialization will likely take about two years to complete.
From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 22, 2017
Trumped? It is likely not Trump himself who has made most of the picks, but rather the transition team under Pence's leadership -- has indeed loaded his cabinet with many top representatives of the dominant economic wing of the ruling class. It now has a control of the U.S. State unlike anything we have seen since March 3, 1933. This is the swamp on steroids.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
BEWARE: This is the doctrine that the Republican Religious Right wants to apply to all of us., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 7, 2022
Further Thoughts on Winning the Abortion Wars: 'I Told You So' The fight to guarantee the rights of women in the mater of abortion is not over. It is quite obvious that the next stage has just begun. As readers of my columns know, I feel that a major opportunity has been missed: to fight on what is really the central issue here: the struggle against religious authoritarianism. This column consists mainly of a reprint of a 2016 column on that subject that published on the Greanville Post.
Thomas Paine by Laurent Dabos., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 4, 2023
Tom Paine: "On Slavery" As a counter-point to the "well, slavery wasn't all bad" position recently expressed by Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis (offered, and commented on, in my column of last week --- click here), this week I present the position of American-patriot-by-adoption Thomas Paine, on the same subject.
As long as we have Abbott, we've got that one, whether they vote for us or not., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Bill Barr's Useful Idiot: Donald J. Trump; plus an Appendix on the Nature of The State Trump is often described as Putin's "Useful Idiot." But in the context of U.S. politics, governance, and the potential for the imposition of a fascist state in the U.S. following the upcoming election, he is really Bill Barr's useful idiot. This column explains why.
Trump. See .Magic Trick No. 6., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 28, 2022
Do Trump's '6 Magic Tricks' Still Work? Well, No." This summary is easy to write. I have previously written on "The Six Magic Tricks" on which Trump has relied to get him through life, through all of his failed deals with no long-term injuries, all the way to the Presidency. But in the current crisis for him (and for him it is a crisis) I do not think that the Tricks will work and that he will go down. This column explains why I have come to that conclusion.
Hieronymus Bosch.  They did it back then, too., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Trump's Box of Six Magic Tricks: A Revisit I have previously written on the Six Magic Tricks that have guided Trump through his charmed life. This column brings that analysis up to the present date and shows how one or more of them may be beginning to fail him.
Ten Commandments Tablets. Probably from the time of the first (official) translation of the Bible, early 17th cent. The first unofficial translator of the Bible into English, early 16th century, lost 'is 'ed over doing do., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 17, 2023
Mike Pence, The 10 Commandments, and the Republican Party Mike Pence tells us that he wants to return the U.S. to "God and the Constitution." Well, Mike, "God" is word that does not appear in the Constitution, and the word religion appears only in provisions prohibiting its use in affairs of state. Nevertheless, this column takes a look at what that would look like, using "The Ten Commandments" to represent religion. In those terms, religion doesn't come across too well.
I wish this bird would tell us which solutions CPACees have to what problems.  They surely don't., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 16, 2015
Takeaways from the CPAC Convention, 2015 Want to see some stuff on the recent Conservative Political Action Committee Conference that you might not have seen elsewhere? Well, take a look at this column. If you full of CPAC and the Repubs./Rightists, don't bother.
James Madison by Gilbert Stuart. Although Chief Justice Marshall might have established Judicial Review in another case, it was an action by Pres. Madison that gave him the opportunity in this one., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 24, 2021
Reversing Marbury v. Madison In the recent Supreme Court hearings concerning a law passed in the State of Mississippi that would effectively ban freedom of choice in the outcome of pregnancy, and might very well be used to overturn Roe v. Wade, the issue of the power of the Court to review actions of the other two branches of the government for their constitutionality was raised. This column presents a fictional Supreme Court decision that does just that.
Last House on Holland Island, May 2010, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 24, 2014
Naomi Klein: The Romantic Revolutionary Naomi Klein takes an important step in showing how global warming/climate change are closely intertwined with and indeed caused by the political/economic system called capitalism. But,she then turns romantic revolutionary in her prescription for changing a system that really needs to be overthrown. It was Lenin who gave us the answer for that one, just about a century ago. Too bad the USSR did not follow his prescriptions.
Beaver at Forest Grove Reservation - 2014-03-30, From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 11, 2014
If "Stalin = Communism = Bad," Why not "Hitler = Capitalism = Bad?" Part II The publication of Part I of what with the appearance of this column is now a series, elicited quite a bit of commentary. Those comments stimulated to write further on this subject. First, a variety of views were presented on just what "capitalism" is. Here is my consideration of the topic, actually starting rather further back in the historical development of our species. Then I deal with several other of the questions raised
70.East.USCapitol.WDC.6January 2021.
For how many years will we see this image? 10? 20? 30? 40?, From WikimediaPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 22, 2022
Donald Trump, "The Stab in the Back," and the "Stolen Election" The column reviews an earlier one from the time of Weimar Germany used by the Nazis on their rise to power: "The Saab in the Back." It then goes on to compare the use of that slogan by the Nazis with the use of "Stop the Steal" by the Trumpites. It concludes with a quick review of Trump's quickly mounting troubles, which will be dealt with in some more detail in next week's column.
Clockwork Orange - Stanley Kubrick - OST, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 18, 2021
The Clockwork Bibi The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has once again burst out into the open, this time with much violence, particularly being visited upon the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. This column first presents a brief introduction to the current situation and then goes on to re-reprint a column of mine published almost precisely ten years ago, featuring Bibi Netanyahu. Since he is still in power, in my view it is still relevant.
Keep Abortion Safe, Legal, Accessible.  The chances of doing this are fading fast., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 2, 2021
Abortion Rights: Once More into the Breach, Dear Friends I have been writing on abortion rights and how the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution could be used as an additional weapon in the battle to save them. This column primarily re-presents one of my earlier ones, with some comments of what Justice Kavanaugh had to say at the Supreme Court hearing on the matter and on what The New York Times' Ross Douthat had to say as well.
The Best of Donald Trump's Twitter, From GoogleImages
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 13, 2016
A Trump Retrospective, in Tweets and Columns Republicans by the droves are now coming out to get out from under him. Will the rush become an avalanche? The big question many are asking is, especially since he has now added the "Obama Founded ISIS" bit, is Trump setting himself up for the big fall, or is it just happening naturally, because of who he is and his state of mind at this time of his life?
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 1, 2012
What the Gunners Want, II Last week I published a column on OEN entitled "What the Gunners Want." I simply sought to present to our readership what one of the leading "pro-gun rights" organizations, the Second Amendment Foundation is putting forward as its program, at least as seen through the lens of the court cases that it is pursuing around the country. This brough forth several interesting comments, to which I am responding at some length (sorry).
Sharpie Trump approval (and the red line for the death rate according to Trump.  After all, as we know, he is now the nation's Chief Medical Officer.), From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 15, 2020
Trump and Testing Trump just DOESN'T like Corona virus testing. This column discusses why this is so.
Backyard chicken, after hatching., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 1, 2018
The Big Blue Wave? Not So Fast As the Trump Presidency seems to be sliding into the mud in the real world (although not in the Alternative Reality of Right-Wing TV and talk radio) and Republican policies (or lack thereof, e.g. the "massive infrastructure program") are becoming increasingly unpopular, there is much talk of a "Blue Wave" coming in the 2018 Congressional elections. But then again, maybe not. And here's one reason possibly why not.
At 6'8., Griner dunking at the WNBA 2015 All-Star game. And when just now, she got back on the court shortly after she got home, she demonstrated that she still can., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Brittney Griner and the Republican Party of Hate This column is about the recent trade of the U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, held in Russia for what was a minor prohibited offense, for the Russian spy, Viktor Bout. It is also about how the Republican Party uses the trade, rather than as a focus of celebration for getting Ms. Griner home, as an opportunity to fully, openly and clearly express its basic racism, homophobia, and anti-feminism, over and over again.
Donald Trump, the Snake Oil Salesman that Conned America, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 3, 2020
"Trump and Fascism: A Retrospective This column presents brief descriptions and links to a Trump/fascism series of previously published columns of mine, beginning in 2011. That series was recently published on BuzzFlash.com. (Most of the columns were first published here on OpEdNews.) The series shows a steady progression in Trump's thinking (sic) and actions, progressing from "birtherism" to his recent complete takeover of the Republican Party.
National Socialist League 1975. So, you thought that U.S. Nazism was just pre-WWII?, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 27, 2023
On Fascism: Its Definition in its Historical Context, for 2023, Part 2 This is Part 2 of this lengthy (for OpEdNews) review of "fascism" and what it is, and isn't, in its historical context. It is indeed on its way to happening here. There might be, as some on the left in the U.S. appear to think there could be, a "Trump Left." Who knows? Although it is not apparent to many observers, some seem to be thinking along those lines. But, Warnung. Don't look to Nazi Germany for an example.
Donald Trump's Many Ties To Vladimir Putin's Russia, From YouTubeVideos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 3, 2017
Column No. 4A: "The Russia House: A Class Analysis" The real conflict within the Trump regime is between the USMIC guys, led by General Mattis at Defense, and the drop the sanctions and let's get on with it guys at State. And then further, the real aim of the latter, and Trump himself, may well be to gain some significant hold on some segment of the Russian economy.
President Trump Graphic on COVID-19.  EXCEPT THAT HE DIDN'T. Because, actually, it would just (magically) go away., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 10, 2020
Trump, His Magical Thinking, and Bob Woodward Trump has lived his life using a box of "Six Magic Tricks," of which I have written previously: click here. This column shows how, in the context of the "Woodward Revelations," he has used it to create what I have called the Trumpidemic2020(C).
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, August 13, 2012
The Incredible Lightness of Being Dick Cheney On July 30, 2012, former Vice-President Dick Cheney described President Obama as one of the "weakest" Presidents, ranking even (sic) Jimmy Carter above him (1). That statement makes one wonder: what is Cheney's definition of the opposite of weakness? That is "strength." Well, let's take a look at some of Cheney's personal and political history to try to determine the answer to that question.
Hillary and Bill Clinton, From YouTubeVideos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 27, 2016
How the DLC Democrats Helped to Make Donald Trump Presidential Candidate since the Democrats did nothing to expose them for what they were and are, it is all too easy for Trump to just put all the hate, fear, xenophobia, and prejudice, right out here on the (campaign) stump, for everyone to see. In other words, the Democrats helped clear the way for Trump not only by not fighting the Republicans on the issues-of-prejudice from the beginning, but in certain sectors, facilitating them.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 25, 2012
Winning the Abortion Wars: Cong. Akin, the GOP, and Religious Authoritarianism What the GOP and the other so-called "anti-abortionists" want to do is criminalize the religious belief of anyone who holds that life begins at the time of viability (or of "quickening," or at the end of the first trimester, or at any time other than the moment of conception). How do we win the abortion wars? By shifting the front to the battle against religious authoritarianism to the battle for relgious freedom.
The infamous Miklos Horthy bust, Liberty Square (Szabadsa'g te'r), Budapest. He was the first national ruler in history who could have been considered, by definition, .fascist.., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 8, 2021
A Retrospective Series, Trump and Fascism, 2011-2020, Part Four: "Trump: Turning the Corner Towards Fascism" This is the 4th Part in my "Trump and Fascism: A Retrospective Series," originally published on Buzzflash.com. The first ran about 3 weeks ago, the second part about 10 days ago, and the third part yesterday. Going into the start of the Impeachment Trial tomorrow here's the 4th part (originally published in 2016, see below).
Bull Durham Trade Mark.  It would be interesting to know exactly what Barr and (John) Durham are smoking., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 10, 2022
" 'Bull Durham,' and 'Bull Barr' " Bill Barr has been tied up with Trump and his various cover-uos for quite some time. As it turns out, Barr was well-suited to this job for he previously did the same thing on behalf of G.H.W. Bush and "Iran-Contra." This column begins briefly exploring one the great baseball movies, "Bull Durham," reviews briefly Barr and "Iran-Contra," and then goes on to look at Barr, Durham, Trump, and a whole lot of Bull.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 14, 2012
Marco Rubio, "Faith," and the Coming Religious Wars Sen. Marco Rubio (FL) gave a speech on the last night of the Republican National Convention. In it he said, in part, "We are special because we've been united not by a common race or ethnicity. We're bound together by common values. . . . Almighty God is the source of all we have . . . faith in our Creator is the most important American value of all. This column considers that proposition.
Donald Reagan. As much as the .mainstream. Repubs. would like to deny it, Trump is a direct political descendant of the former .B. movie actor., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 8, 2018
The Serialization (3) of The 15% Solution: Author's Preface: Part 1 This Preface, written for the current, third version of the book published in 2013, is in my voice, that of Steven Jonas, the book's real author. The Preface is quite long and will in this series be published in three parts. Indeed, it should have been published before the previous installment, which was the book's Chapter One, written in the voice of the fictional author, Jonathan Westminster. Please forgive the mistake.
Just Say No.  Reagan: the original .small government conservative,. (except of course, for those big government programs he just happened to like.  .Star Wars,. anyone?), From ImagesAttr
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Is the GOP/TP Really Against "Big Government?" Fuhgeddaboudit So you think that Repubicans are really against ALL government, and it should just get out of the way, so that everything would just be so, so much better? Well . . . . Read on.
Ron DeSantis & Lauren Boebert. What a pair, for going after the Gays., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Chris Rock, and Republican Politics This is a different take on the Will Smith/Chris Rock controversy. No, I don't approve of the violence. But I also don't approve of making fun of somebody because they have a genetically-based condition, about which they can do nothing. More importantly, is the issue of the Repubs. making a big political-issue out of human states-of-being which are also genetically-determined, specifically homosexuality and trans-sexuality.
20200401 Trump coronavirus quote timelines - Washington Post.svg., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Trump, the Republicans, and the Politicization of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Revisit This column primarily presents excerpt writings of mine from the early stages of the pandemic, with a particular focus on what the Trumpites did and did not do. It also presents some major mis-representations of the anti-public health practice community on the pandemic and how to deal with it. As well, it also deals with how the Republicans are approaching it with the hearings they are holding in the House of Reps..
US Capitol view from Newseum. A view that the Fascists would certainly eliminate., From FlickrPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 5, 2022
January 6, 2021 - At the Time; and Now This is one of many, many retrospectives that will be being published on this day. It is a day which foretold of the Fascist trap into which this nation might easily have fallen, and still well might, if the burgeoning Republo-fascist party and its shiny headlamp ornament Donald Trump have their way. This column presents a view from that gloomy day, and then a view that is looking from now towards the future, with a warning.
Castillo de Alcala de Xivert.  Indeed.  Right out of the Middle Ages (just like .Industrial Feudalism.)., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Vladimir Putin and the Invention of 'Industrial Feudalism' In this column I postulate the development of a new form of State-and-Economic structure. It is based on what has developed in modern Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of "The Seventy-Five Years War Against the Soviet Union" in 1992. (See OpEdNews "The 75 Years War" columns, for 2019.) Please note, I will posting an edited of them in this space next next week.
Reagan Airport.  Lots of glitter, just like the man himself., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 20, 2018
The Serialization (4) of The 15% Solution: Author's (SJ) Preface: Part 2 Being the continuation of Preface to the book in my, Steven Jonas', voice, Part 1 of which was published on OpEdNews on March 8, 2018. This Preface, was written for the current, third version of the book published in 2013. The Preface is quite long and is in this series be published in three parts. Indeed, it should have been published before the second installment, which was the book's Chapter One.
Secretary Rice With Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Well, at least we got an airport with name on it out of it., From WikimediaPhotos
(12 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Condi Rice: on 9/11, the 9/11 Commission, Afghanistan, and the Invasion of Iraq" (fictional) This column consists of one of my periodic re-visits with a column that I wrote on 9/11, Afghanistan, and/or Iraq, sometime ago. This one consists of a totally fictional "testimony" that Condolezza Rice presented to the 9/11 Commission. Didn't happen, but I had fun writing it back then, and I am having fun presenting it to you here again.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 6, 2017
"Warning (Warnung, auch)" Trumpism demands acceptance or rejection, period. Only a social revolution can destroy the Trumpist state. Only an upheaval in which the political power of the economically-dominant sector of the ruling class is permanently broken by mass action from below can offer hope of weakening the grip upon the sources of power of the Trumpist state.
Forces from British India camping at Kandahar (1841). And do recall that the Brits have been with us through this whole current attempt at nation-changing.), From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 19, 2021
Afghanistan, Biden, and Trump Not too long ago, I posted a lengthy column on Afghanistan, my first in ten years. Given what is happening in Afghanistan now, the topic is obviously worth another column. This one, unlike much of the other commentary being published these days, focuses in significant part of how we and Afghanistan got to where we are, starting in the 1970s, not simply post- 9//11, and the role of Trump in creating the current situation.
Donald Trump in Reno, Nevada. Actually, what Trump is looking for is the Fourth Reich: HIS!!!, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 15, 2022
The Nature of U.S. Fascism: A View from 25 Years Ago This is a description/definition of fascism as presented in an appendix to my 1996 book, "The 15% Solution."
What Reagan left us with.  What a man!, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Chris Matthews and the Reagan Myth MSNBC's Chris Matthews has been doing an over-the-top job of self-promoting his new book, "Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked." Well, it worked for the Jipper and the GOP but not for Tip, the Democrats, and most of the people of our nation. And that's what this column is about.
Mike Pence, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 23, 2016
Trump and the Ruling Class By his appointments, Trump has very quickly provided the dominant sector of the ruling class full control of the Executive Branch. They also now have full control at the Congressional level and soon will have full control of the Supreme Court as well. And those folks certainly do not have any interest in meeting the needs of any segments of the U.S. working class, regardless of ethnicity.
Newt Gingrich, Scholar: You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people . . . ., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 26, 2018
The Serialization of The 15% Solution: Chap. 1 - The U. S., 1995: Setting the Stage for Fascism This is the 2nd installment of (what will be) the full serialization of the third version of my book (2013), The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022 (originally published in 1996). It's Chap. 1: "Setting the Stage for Fascism: 1995."
Well this is one view of the relationship., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Trump-Putin Peace: As Easy as Pie (Oh, Really?) Russia-U.S. Peace: The real problems to be solved to achieve it, beyond Trump/Putin and whatever that relationship may really be about.
Henry Fonda for Camels.  And yes, while Fonda was an A-list actor, that well-known B-list actor, Ronald Reagan, did cigarette ads too, for Chesterfields., From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Tobacco, the Fossil Fuel Industry, and Capitalist "Morality" So what is "morality," anyway. Well Maria Bartiromo of CNBC and the Fox Business Channel, thinks that it embodied in capitalism. Tobacco and death, and fossil fuels and death on a much larger scale, might make one think on that one again.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 17, 2012
Pres. Obama is Wrong on Gay Marriage (It's a Trick Title) President Obama has announced that he supports gay marriage. The President has shared with us his personal view on the subject, which he presumably "evolved" to. However, as our highest elected official he takes no postion on the law. So, how is the President, as the President, not just as some observer whose views have "evolved," wrong on the issue? Let us count the ways.
Kursk.  It was at the Battle of the Kursk Salient, the largest tank battle in history, that the Red Army under Marshall Zhukov assured that the defeat of the Nazis was inevitable., From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Ukraine? Russia? Keep Your Eyes on the Prize It is always the economic ruling class that controls the state apparatus, in one way or another. This is unless the government has become so violent that it can maintain itself in place by the use of force, massed and personal, against even the most highly placed, in both the ruling class and the military, as was the case in capitalist Nazi Germany…" And so Western Imperialism is out to capture the Ruling Class in Russia.
Fred Trump 1939. (I dunno which one it is, but we do have him to blame --- see Mary Trump's book.), From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 8, 2020
If at First You Do Succeed, Do Do It Again This column is on Trump's current racist/red-baiting campaign strategy and why he has adopted it. The first part worked in 2016, so why not do it again. And if it needs a bit of updating this time around, the old Roy Cohn shtick certainly compliments it well.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Legislated Dictatorship: Coming to a State Near You? In Wisconsin what has gained much well-deserved publicity is the intended crushing of the public employee unions by the GOP Gov. Scott Walker, using parliamentary means. What some might consider to be even worse is a proposal by the Governor to grant himself what amounts to dictatorial powers in two particular arenas of government. In Michigan, the governor now has legislated dictatorial powers over all local goverment.
Work still needs to be done on the U.S. fascist leader uniforms.  And after all, it could be a woman., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 6, 2021
The Republo-Fascists are on the March; Who Should We Attack? The Dems. of course This column deals with an extensive attack on the Democratic Party written by the political analyst Paul Street and published on Counterpunch. Mr. Street is cornered with the fascist nature of the current Republican Party, but spends the bulk of his column attacking the Democrats. I present the argument that this approach is not helpful if we want to prevent the full-blown institution of Republo-fascism in the United States.
The Monuments Men, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The Importance of "The Monuments Men" "The Monuments Men" is a movie that is for the most part has gone off movie screens (although it will be back soon enough on DVR). However, in my view it should not be forgotten. It has some important lessons to teach us, about World II, about the Nazis, about war on civilians and civilization, and about what in this light might happen again in the future. That is what this column is about.
From flickr.com/photos/9106303@N05/7518093736/: Sophisticated GOP Campaign Literature, From Images
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Darkness in North Carolina: A Vision of the World the GOP Seeks to Create I originally published elsewhere this column written a couple of months ago. In light of the current GOP assault on national governance and governing, I thought that it would be useful to publish it here at this time. For if the GOP is not stopped, soon, as goes North Carolina, so goes much of the rest of the nation.
Donald Trump, From GoogleImages
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 20, 2016
Donald Trump and the Repubs. Abandoning Ship Regardless of what happens to the Repubs. in this election, assuming that HRC wins it, what the Repubs. in Congress -- whether or not they have control of the Senate or only the filibuster -- will do to and with Clinton will make the obstructionism towards Obama with began with that planning meeting on January 21, 2009, seem mild by comparison.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
Louis .L'Etat et mois. XIV of France. One of the best known of the absolute monarchs, with, unlike Putin, great costumes., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Vladimir Putin: Feudalism Redux (courtesy of the United States, and other Western Powers) Modern Russia, under Vladimir Putin is not a capitalist, but a feudal, state. He is the monarch-with-absolute-powers, and the "oligarchs" are his "dukes," with no political power but plenty of leeway to make as much money as they can. That Putin is the absolute monarch of Russia, is the principal reason for the invasion of Ukraine. How this came to be, rather than a conversion to capitalism, is also the subject of this column
Homininae.svg.  And by golly, somehow we ended up as the only one of the species-set that kills each other in great numbers, the cause of which is what this column speculates about., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 8, 2022
A Revisit with "The Origin of the Self-Destructive Species (with apologies to Charles Darwin)" This column re-visits a column I published back in 2014 concerning two apparently unique characteristics of the species Homo Sapiens: it members are dependent for their existence on the conversion of elements found in the environment into various goods and services, and in my view, because of that necessity, which led to private ownership of the conversion processes, led then to ours becoming the only self-destructive species.
Why Jared, you might ask?  What?  You want yet another Trump caricature here?, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 28, 2018
President Trump and the 'Syria Withdrawal:' Why Now? A Different Perspective The Trump Syria pull-out: why now? What's it all about, Alfie? Here's an answer. Could be right. Could be wrong. But it's different. Hint: it's got the names Putin and Erdogan in it.
Donald Trump and Doug Flutie at a press conference in the Trump Tower. The United States Football League, another institution he ruined., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 10, 2023
Donald J. Trump - Gambling Man: Will he stay or will he go? This column returns to Trump's 7 Magic Tricks and how he has used them in the past, discusses briefly how he is using them in his present campaign both to stay- out-of-confinement and win back the Presidency, and then goes on to my projection that if it becomes clear to him that he going to be convicted on one or more of the various charges he is now facing, he will, as I have discussed previously, leave the country.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 3, 2017
Serialization of The 15% Solution: Section 1: Setting the Stage. Chap. 1 A note from the actual author (that is Steven Jonas, MD, MPH): Please note that this chapter was actually written in 1994-95. The similarities between the politics of the Republicans and of the Democrats then and in recent times are NOT purely coincidental. In fact, the policies of the Democratic Party in the 1990s very much facilitated the eventual Right-Wing Republican takeover described in the book.
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 26, 2012
Pay me now or Pay me later: The 2012 Presidential Election There is obviously a set of major issues that neither Presidential candidate is addressing in this campaign. And so, who to vote for? Certainly not Romney. But why not Obama? Because the future of our nation depends upon the formation of a true Progressive Party, with elected left-Democrats coming to it. The re-election of Obama would inhibit, not facilitate this process. Which is what this column is about.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 9, 2011
Grover Norquist's Wet Dream The Norquist'/GOP goal has nothing to do with the deficit or event taxes. It has everything to do with his stated aim to "shrink the government to the size of a bathtub and then drown it in the bathtub," Of course the government that Grover has been aiming to shrink all of these years does not include such elements as the military-industrial complex, the prisons-industrial complex, corporate-agribusiness, and etc.
Vintage Postcard Collection - The Royal Family At Windsor, Circa Mid-1930s. The Queen's dogs were Corgis then too., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 28, 2021
A Comment from a Friend on my Column on the History of British Royal Family Scandals This column presents a guest, anonymous commentary on a column that I published about a month-and-a-half ago on the "Meghan-and-Harry-Interview-with-Oprah" that went on to consider some of the scandals of the British Royal Family going back to Queen Elizabeth I. I received this commentary on it in terms of the present Royal Family from a friend, which I thought might be of of interest. Published anonymously, with permission.
Trump: .The only solutions I like are the ones that favor me, me, me.., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 2, 2021
The 15% Solution: What it Was --- and Is In 1996 I published a book entitled "The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001 - 2022." The book was purportedly published in 2048, on the 25th anniversary of the Restoration of Constitutional Democracy in the re-United States. "The 15% Solution" was the name of a plan for voter suppression that was was originally developed in 1989 by an organization called "The Christian Coalition."It is herein described
Cathedral Of Trier Skeleton. The Grim Reaper indeed. Had to have been a Republican., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 21, 2021
The Republican Party of Death National, state, and local Republican politics and policies have been becoming increasingly "pro-COVID 19," in terms of both morbidity and mortality. This column briefly reviews the historical process by which this has occurred, that is of course starting with Trump. It then goes on to briefly examine current Republican state policies which are serving to spread disease-morbidity, leading, of course, to increased morality.
.Nothing to worry about,. eh wot?, From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, February 13, 2022
The Anti-Vaxxers and their [new] Out-of-Context, Excerpted, Arguments Anti-vaxxers/Insurrectionist-defenders are using a widening collection of arguments to justify their position(s). One is a supposed excerpt from a Federalist Paper attributed to Alexander Hamilton. Interestingly enough, when taken in the contexct in whihc it was written it expresses a Hamiltonian position quite the opposite of that which the anti-vaxxer/pro-insurrectionists say it did. As this column illustrates.
Statue of Lenin in Leningrad., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 13, 2022
The 75 Years War Against the Soviet Union, Revisited There is much confusion about the relationship between the Soviet Union and the current regime of Vladimir Putin. There is actually no direct relationship, other than that the Putin dictatorship is the result of what I call "The 75 Years War Against the Soviet Union," which led to its eventual demise at the hands of Western Imperialism, and the massive, shall we say, "reorganization" that W.I. undertook After the Fall.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Fascism in the 21st Century: Part II The American media, conceits aside, in the complete hands of the corporate plutocracy, are simply one more propaganda platform -- perhaps the most effective -- to bolster and disseminate the prevailing capitalist ideology. The true left, minuscule in its media presence, forever fragmented and improvident in strategic regards, has nothing to respond with, no instruments with which to access the public debate.
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre: The blood of Huguenots soaked the streets of Paris. In this famous painting, Catherine de Medici surveys the result of her treachery. Religious wars--often underscored by power rivalries between nations, and the subterranea, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 21, 2015
On Political Religion at the Jewish New Year Our struggle is most correctly with Organized Religion and how it is used to further the interests of Reaction by every government around the world that does use it in one way or another. In modern times that means to preserve and protect capitalism, with all of its present and future nefarious outcomes for all of humankind, whether theist or humanist.
OMG.  Once out of the Oval, he is going to have fly in his own plane, that is if he can still afford it., From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 2, 2020
Some Thoughts on Trump and the 2020 U.S. Elections, Plus my Prediction for the Outcome Being a set of pre-election comments, posted on Election Eve. Mainly Trump-analysis, but also presenting a hopeful picture of why all the indicators, including what might or might not, go on in the Supreme Court, pointing to a Biden victory.
Franklin Graham - ERRor No. 1, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Franklin Graham, Mayor Buttigieg, and Religious Doctrine on Homosexuality Franklin Graham, a Far-Right cleric, is a strong supporter of Donald Trump. (It happens that he is the son of the cleric Billy Graham, who happened to be a strong supporter of the last President to be threatened with impeachment, Richard Nixon.) Homosexuality is a human characteristic that has gotten this Graham very upset, over a long period time. This column presents his Biblical interpretation and then an alternate one.
Diana Princess of Wales with Hillary Clinton. Two women who knew all about husbands having affairs., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 12, 2021
Scandal and the British Royal Family: A Brief History The current "royal scandal" is, of course, about Meghan and Harry. Scandals, of course, go hand-in-hand with British royalty. But this one is different. It's not about anything the couple have done. It is about who they are. This column discusses the current one and its racist/politico nature, and compares it to a long list of others, which, in contrast, are always about something the person has done, and usually about sex.
Jake Angeli. Convicted rioter.  The fire next time?, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 28, 2022
The 'Stab in the Back;' Trump's Getting Desperate; QAnon: The New S.A. This column reviews the various "Magic Tricks" that Trump uses, that I have described and discussed in previous columns, that Trump has used for a lifetime to get out of one scam-to-scrape after nanometer. This time would appear to be different, what with "Mar-a-Lago," the NYS Attorney General's Office, and etc. Trump has used violence at a constrained pace in the fast. Is he getting ready to enhance it. QAnon, anyone?
Minsk Protocol.  If only it had been implemented.  Whose fault was it, it wasn't? You can be sure each side will blame the other --- in perpetuity., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 27, 2022
A Combined Response to the Comments Received on my Column "Why is the War Continuing This column consists of a combined set of replies/observations-on the many comments that I received on my column published just prior to this one: "Ukraine: Why is the War Continuing? There is responsibility on both Sides." Responding this way, if not entirely satisfactory for each of the commentators, certainly made life easier for me!
Constitution of the United States, page 1. Capitalist, yes, but as amended a  heck of alot better than the fascist system the Repubs. are hoping to put in its place., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 7, 2022
The Elections of 2022 --- On the road to Fascism This column summarizes my many writings on Republo-fascism, and how the mid-terms of 2022, if they go the way that most authorities are predicting they will, will set the stage for a full fascist takeover in 2024, through election rigging and voting/voter manipulation
George Bernard Shaw 1936.
This is how the great man, born in 1856, looked in the year of my birth. And he still had another 16 years to live, From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 9, 2023
Some Thoughts of George Bernard Shaw This column presents some of the thought of the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, of whom I long have been an admirer. First, it is noted that Shaw was a champion of the rights of women, which are under serious attack by the Republo-fascist Party. So it seems an appropriate time to refer back to Shaw. Examples of thinking are presented here in the form of Shavian quotes, some famous, not so much. Do enjoy the change.
No title necessary., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 5, 2023
Trump's "Reichstag Fire" that Could Have Been Approaching the 2nd anniversary of the 2nd attempted insurrection against the U. S. Govt. and the Constitution under which it is organized (the first having been carried out at Fort Sumter in April 1861), I thought it would be useful to review, today, a col. of mine from Jan. 5, 2021, that considered the possibility of a "Reichstag Fire"-type event the next day, a thought that was shared then by Gen. Milley, Ch. Joint Chiefs.
Italian Blackshirts (
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 23, 2015
The Fascist phoenix: Toward a basic taxonomy As income and wealth inequality increases, and as the ruling class further cements its control of the State through "Citizens United-facilitated campaign contributions," voter suppression, gerrymandering, and outright election theft, the question is whether full-fledged fascism will arise and if so, how it will be imposed and what form it will take.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 16, 2017
"A U.S. Diplomat and Self-Delusion" The U.S. is indeed a multi-cultural state. The problem is that going back to its founding the 1850s, with a few exceptions over time, following the end of Reconstruction the Republican Party has never accepted this. Anyone who thinks that the U.S. has done great things around the world since World War II either thinks that U.S. Imperialism is just a great thing or is just self-delusional.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 13, 2021
The Public Health Approach to the Drug Problem* This column advocates an entirely new approach to the "drug problem," that is treating the advertising, sales, and use of all addictive drugs in the same way the two most harmful drugs, nicotine in tobacco products and ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages, are treated.
Bob Mueller's dream wish to Santa at Christmastime (says the maker of the image):  We hope that's it.  But we will find out for sure only if Mueller testifies before Congress (and maybe not even then)., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 24, 2019
A Tale of Two Mueller Reports This column presents and discusses the two widely different "Mueller Reports" that are presently being presented and considered on the public stage. The first is the one that is based on what is actually in the Report. The other one is not.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 9, 2012
The Imperative of the Republicans' Rightward Imperative The GOP moves evermore rightward. Mitt Romney, who supported the proposed amendment to the Mississippi Constitution that would have illegalized any belief that life begins other than at the time of conception, is called a "moderate," by persons both within and without the party. The policies of John Huntsman, who appears to be rational and therefore "moderate," differ little from those of the others. Why is this the case?
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 15, 2013
Elysium: When the Ruling Class Makes Hell on Earth for Everyone Elae Elysium or the Elysian Fields is a conception of the afterlife that evolved over time and was maintained by certain Greek religious and philosophical sects and cults. Initially separate from the realm of Hades, admission was initially reserved for mortals related to the gods and other heroes. This column is about the movie of the same name. Well worth seeing, and it still may be around in certain theatres. Otherwise, Bluray
Edmund Pettus Bridge. In the movie, the actual bridge was used for the recreation of the marches (yes, there was more than one, until, under the guard of Federal troops sent by President Johnson, the marchers got safely across it and on their way to the s, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 2, 2015
The Tragedy of "Selma" This column is, not a movie review, but rather a consideration of the many political, social, and economic tragedies that, due the persistence of the Doctrine of White Supremacy handed down from the true victors of the First Civil War, the Confederate States of America, persist in our nation to this very day.
Donald Trump.  Ah, the comparisons!, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, February 7, 2021
Trump and Fascism, A Retrospective Series, 2011-2020, Part Three: "Hair Trump or Herr Trump?" This is the third Part in my "Trump and Fascism: A Retrospective Series," originally published on Buzzflash.com. The first part ran about three weeks ago about ten days ago. Now, going into the Impeachment Trial, I will be posting the remaining four in the series on consecutive days here at OpEdNews, starting today.
The final cost of the Iraq war has still to be counted.  Royal Marines in southern Iraq, March 2003, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 30, 2014
US Wars From Viet Nam Onwards: Wins and Losses Iraq is teetering on the brink of even more disaster than it has been subject to since the US invasion, and political figures like "Negative Ace" McCain are now shouting that the US should have stayed there, and it's "all Obama's fault."
Alice in Wonderland %281951 film%29 poster., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Donald Trump's Lawyers and Donald Trump Lawyering This column is about Trump, his own lawyering (which he has done for years), and his lawyers --- or at least some of the present bunch --- either representing him or charged with one or more criminal offenses themselves. A) they are making some strange arguments and, in the "Jan. 6" case at least, seem to be assuming conviction and thus already getting ready for appeal.
Teapublican Party - Icon, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 3, 2013
The GOP Takes Its Clothes Off in Public: It's Not a Pretty Sight, Even for Some Republicans The government shutdown has been engineered by Republicans who, having lost on "Obamacare" in Congress, in the last Pres. election, and on the (Republican) Supreme Court, are attempting to use fiscal blackmail to accomplish a legislative goal that they were not able to achieve otherwise. If Obama hangs tough,and if the GOP eventually splits, we might be able to avoid the proto-fascist future that a Cruz Pres. could bring, 2017
The legend of the stab in the back, postcard published in 1919 in Vienna., From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Donald Trump and the "Rigged Election" -- What's it all About, Alfie? Donald Trump, having realized for some weeks now that he is going to lose, has placed himself fully on the road to delegitimize the Hillary Clinton Presidency, using the charges of rigged/stolen election and "crook" the same way that he used birtherism in the attempt to delegitimize the Obama Presidency. And he's the only one who can fix it.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
A Hollywoodesque Southern mansion, not in Georgia, as in Gone with the Wind, but in Mississippi. The white oligarchy lived well and aimed to keep that way of life by any means necessary, including the conscious brainwashing of their fellow whites., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 22, 2015
Trump -- Racist -- Revisited Race is still the trump card for the Right. And Donald Trump used it back in 2011-12, just as he uses it now. Trump is a former Health Care Single-Payer supporter, a former pro-choicer, a former supporter of other liberal causes. But now he is apparently really running for the Repub. Presidential nomination. The racist issue he is using this time around is of course "immigration."
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Corporate Power's Big Grab: "Big Government" vs. "Small Government" And so, the "small government" folks are now firmly entrenched in the House of Representatives. Through the filibuster rule they will never be too far from the levers of power in the Senate either. But boy, since the last election they have become more vocal than ever. First and foremost they tell us that the "American people" demand "small government" and told us so in the last election. Oh really?
Trump - the Fascist Tangerine. I've used this illustration before, on the Trump-fascist comparo, but it surely still fits., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 16, 2023
Is it Hair Trump or Herr Trump? Redux This column is a re-run of one I first posted towards the end of 2015, on Trump and the fascist danger he presents. Given the increasingly openly fascist program proposals (if one can call them that) he is putting forward, I thought (even though I have republished it previously) to re-publish it again. As my regular readers know, I am publishing more and more on this subject. But a retrospective at this time "can't hoit."
NYC: The Five Points - Worth and Baxter. What they all look like now., From CreativeCommonsPhoto
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 19, 2022
The "Great Replacement Theory:" New for the GOP? Nah! As is well-known, leaders of the Republican Party have in recent months making a great deal out of what they call "The Great Replacement Theory" (TGRT) and what it means for "White America." Many observers are greeting the use of TGRT as something new for the Repubs. As it happens, some version of racism and xenophobia has been in the DNA of the Party since its beginnings in the 1850s. Which is what this column is about.
Mitch McConnell 2016 official photo. The Master of the S__t-Eating grin., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Mitch McConnell Does his Best John C. Calhoun Impression (And on Critical Race Theory and its Uses, as Well)" This column postulates that in the drive to preserve Republican minority rule nationally, Sen. Mitch McConnell is playing a role similar to that played by Sen. John C. Calhoun in the Battle to Preserve the Institution of Slavery in the years before the First Civil War. The column then has an addendum on how the Republican Right is using the academic discipline of "Critical Race Theory" to further its racist attack line.
Mike Pence - Caricature, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Mike Pence and the Future of the Republican Party Pence had thought about running for the current Repub. nomination in 2015. After that didn't pan out for him he was actually an early Cruz supporter, who then switched to Trump when the former dropped out. As far as I can tell, he has not yet been openly labeled as a Dominionist, but his policies clearly place him in that camp.
WhiteHouse.gov, speech about 2001-09-11. .This is what it was all about --- really.., From CreativeCommonsPhoto
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 8, 2021
9-11 20th Anniversary Retrospective, I: "Possible Explanations for the Behavior of Pres. George W. Bush, in re 9-11" This is the first part of a three- part retrospective series of selections from the set of articles that I have published over the years on this topic. The series is being published now, in remembrance of that awful day, 9-11-2001, on the three days leading up to that anniversary, Sept. 8, 9, and 10. The original version of this column was published on the old The Political Junkies in 2004.
Torture -- America's Shame, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Torture Works: Except Just not for Intelligence Gathering -- and Oh Yes, It's Unconstitutional President Trump declared during the Presidential campaign that he "would bring back" torture "because it works -- for intelligence gathering. He has repeated the threat upon taking office. Well, that is a position that has been extensively debunked over many years by many experts on intelligence gathering.
Remind anyone of current political tactics and strategy? Nah.  Couldn't be.  Could it?, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 5, 2014
Ferguson Worked as Intended: For the Maintenance of the Doctrine of White Supremacy in the US Just as the title of this column states: Ferguson worked as intended, for the maintenance of white supremacy. A question for the reader is: is modern white police violence against people of color the modern version of lynching, with the same purpose? Except that it goes on all over the country, not just in the South.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 5, 2017
The Serialization (8) of The 15% Solution: Chap. 4: The 30th Amendment - Preserve America This is the eighth in the series of serializations of my book, "The 15% Solution." This one is about the first of a series of Constitutional Amendments that the Republican Christian Right governments around the country passed that led to fascism. This one denied citizenship to any immigrant, although children of immigrants could become children, if one parent were a citizen themselves. Sound familiar?
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 4, 2022
"Top Gun: Maverick:" How to Violate International Law and Get Away with It, Each and Every Time" This column is about just what its title says it's about: "'Top Gun: Maverick:' How to Violate International Law and Get Away with It, Each and Every Time." With a totally incomplete list of just how the United States has done so since World War II, in some cases on a much larger scale (like going to war on Viet Nam), this column shows how the story of this particular movie fits right into the real-world pattern of US policy.
Bernie Sanders, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Bernie and Socialism Bernie is essentially left with some approach to "fixing capitalism," along the lines of former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich's recent book, Saving Capitalism. Interestingly enough, the Clinton wing has fallen in with that approach, at least for now (until she has locked up the nomination.)
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 10, 2016
The Lesser of The Evils The choice of the "lesser of the evils" in this election is which candidate provides the best opportunity for beginning to organize the mass movement, which of course none of them with the possible exception of Dr. Stein would support, that will be necessary if that objective is to be achieved.
Pressure From All Sides On FBI Director James Comey, From YouTubeVideos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 2, 2016
The Cometization of the 2016 Elections: The Role of the Ruling Class had to know about the Hatch Act, and that he would be violating it. He also knows that regardless of the outcome of the election he is never going to be prosecuted for doing so. This did not happen by accident. An unprecedented announcement in October goes back to an unprecedented speech in July.
Bernie Sanders, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 17, 2020
'Socialism,' Trumpite Red-baiting, and Bernie Sanders The Trumpites are running on a very simplistic platform, that is the "Four R's and an F:" Racism, Red-Baiting, Repression (of the vote), Red China, and Fear. One of their favorite targets is the "socialist" Bernie Sanders, not the nominee. This column explains what Bernie's version of "socialism" is (which is not really socialism, because it explicitly does not comprise collective ownership of the means of production.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 3, 2023
The New York Times on Drugs; and a Proposal for REAL Drug Policy Reform Recently, The New York Times published a Statement, on drug policy. I have been working in this field for the last 50 years or so. In 2016 I published a book entitled: "End the Drug War; Solve the Drug Problem: The Public Health Approach" (PHA). In sum, I see the "drug problem" as a unity, not a duality. The Times' proposal nibbles around the edges, while the PHA proposes a comprehensive way to effectively deal with it.
.The Wall..  The GOP: Don't tear it down --- put it up, further!, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, August 5, 2013
The GOP and Immigration Reform: Born to Fail - "No" is in their Genes Anti-immigration nativism is as much in the blood lines of the Republican Party as is using the criminal law in an attempt to control the use of certain Mood Altering Drugs (of course as of this time never against the use of the two by-far major drug killers, tobacco and alcohol --- too much campaign funding from them). For the variety of current political reasons discussed in this column, there it shall remain.
Donald Trump, From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 1, 2016
Mr. Trump and the Damage Done: Where does the Republican Party Go from Here? Assuming that Trump loses, where to turn? They won't want another ill-informed loudmouth. But they will want a solid reactionary thoroughly behind the whole of the real Repub. platform, who cannot only consolidate the base that Trump has assembled but who can also solidly bring the Christian Right back into enthusiastic support of the Party.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving Dinner, 28 November 1869, by Thomas Nast. NOT for today's Republicans., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 14, 2022
Christian Nationalism and the Republican Party: Something New? Nah! This column begins with a quotation from a column by the New York Times' Elizabeth Dias concerning the rise of "Christian Nationalism" in the Republican Party and the coordinated decline of the recognition of the Constitutional centrality of the doctrine of the separation of Church and State in the thinking of some contemporary Republicans. This column is another one in my series of "Something new for Republicans? Nah!"
The elephants in the swamp, but loving it., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 21, 2014
Basking in Republican Paradise (because they have it both ways) The GOP does indeed have it both ways. Our nation is governed for the most part by Republican policies, going back to Reagan. But because of the way the Democrats (don't) fight, in particular with ths President, all the predictably bad outcomes that result from those policies can be "blamed on Obama," even including the failure (up to now) to find flight MH 370, according to John Bolton. And that's what this column is about
Florida Senator Marco Rubio
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Could a Cuban Human Rights Organization be Outraged over Government's Pact with the U.S.? Well, Yes. Rightists in both major U.S. political parties (which are actually one party with two faces) have criticized President Obama for engaging in this significant change in the relationship between our two nations, based on what they claim is Cuba's record on human rights.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 17, 2011
The Coming Second Civil War in the United States: Will We be Enslaved by Corporate Governance? History never repeats itself exactly. But it makes some pretty decent copies. What is happening in our nation now bears some frightening similarities to what was going on here in the 1850s, starting with the similaties of the dominance of national politics by the Slave Power then and the dominance of the Corporate Power now. And that is what this column is about.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 16, 2012
Rick Santorum, Front-Runner --- For 2016 What's Santorum after? It's becoming increasingly obvious that he will neither be the GOP 2012 Presidential nominee nor will he be the VP on a Romney ticket. It seems to be becoming more and more obvious that he and his backers are assuming an Obama win this year and have their sights set on 2016. This column explains why.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Conflict's in the genes: The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes In the current movie, a group of Simians and a group of Homo sapiens are survivors of a world-wide, highly fatal infectious disease epidemic which the humans conveniently name the "Simian flu." That it has nothing to do with the Simian population but rather was created in a Homo sapiens lab and just happened to escape is a product of the Homo sapiens media naming it the "Simian flu."
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 29, 2017
On the Limits of "Free Speech" -- Variations Over Time The Trumpian model for the United States: A politico-economic system in which the Racist Reactionary Religious Right controls both the Executive and Legislative Branches of government and the former dominates it; to the extent possible the Judiciary is ignored; the non-right-wing media are cast as "the enemy"; all political, religious, and ideological opposition to its policies and programs are demonized and then criminalized.
Indeed, racism is so with us.  This photo, going further in linking the slaveocracy with religion, was found in Ohio., From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 5, 2014
Beyond Donald Sterling, the Nation Faces a Larger Battle With Embedded Racism The theme of this column is that with the Sterling/LA Clippers episode and its follow-up so far we may have reached a turning point in our nation's long-standing battle with and against the national cancer of racism. It is of course much too early to tell, but I do want to be hopeful this time around
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 15, 2016
The GOP: the Party of Hate (and "Religion") The United States continues to exist as a racist nation precisely because one of its two principal political parties runs on it. Can you imagine where our nation would be if this situation did not exist? Can you imagine if both major political parties rejected racism as doctrine and ran on the real issues that affect us? if the Republicans had to run on what they really stand for they would not remain standing for long.
Franchise Stamp 1938 (NSDAP). Hitler and the Nazis put their stamp on history. Will Trump and the Republo-fascists be able to do the same? A voice from the past issues a warning., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Warnung; Warnung Auch A couple of years ago I presented a brief summary of the history/development of fascism in its historical context. As our nation faces the reality of a Republo-fascist Party take-over of even one House of Congress in the upcoming mid-terms, the progress down the track of what I have previously described (6-15-21)as the "Republo-fascist train" will be significantly speeded up. And so take warning, "Warnung," from 1935.
Elena nicely lying.  (Gotcha!), From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 25, 2018
Election Planning: Trump Style The Trumpite leadership has planned, and is beginning to implement, a one-two propaganda punch aimed at winning the 2018 mid-terms: Xenophobia followed by frank anti-African-American racism. This follow the long, continuing campaign to suppress the vote in all those sectors of the population that tend to vote Democratic that they can get to. See also my column on The Big Blue Wave --Not So fast
Paul von Hindenburg.  He put Hitler in power.  But he did have a nice mustache., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, February 9, 2021
"Trumpite Fascism: How the Nation Might Get There, with Some Lessons from Nazi Germany," Part 5 of a Retro. Series This is the fifth part in my "Trump and Fascism: A Retrospective Series," originally published on Buzzflash.com. The first part ran about three weeks ago, the second part about ten days ago, the third part two days ago, and the fourth part yesterday. Going into the beginning of the Impeachment Trial here's the fifth part (originally published in 2019).
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 6, 2016
In Honor of Fidel Cuba has become the only nation on Earth to establish socialism, without resorting to war with enemies both internal and external. Given that Cuba's most implacable foe is the most powerful capitalist country in the history of nation-states, and is, to the Florida Keys at least, only 90 miles away, for me this has to rank as his most remarkable achievement.
FBI Director James Comey Seeks New Opportunities (although what is happening with his book assures him that he won't have to get a new job right away)., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 23, 2018
Retrospective No. 2: "The Cometization of the 2016 Elections: The Role of the Ruling Class" This is the second in an occasional series that I will be running of past columns that I published both on OpEdNews and other sites, that bear relevance to current events. There will be very slight, if any, editing, and contemporaneous notes in [ ]. The "current event" to which this column realities is, of course, Jim Comey's book A Higher Loyalty and his subsequent far-ranging book tour interviews.
9-11 Memorial., From WikimediaPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 9, 2021
9-11 20th Anniv. Retrospective, II: 'The Conspiracy Theories that Surround it and What is Patriotism' This column is largely based on one that was orig. published on the 9th anniversary of the terrible events of 9-11-01. It deals with a) just some of the conspiracy theories that have been set forth to explain the events (including the final report of the 9-11 Comm., which itself presented a particular one) b) a list of major authorities who had/have concerns about that Final Report, and c what patriotism is, in this context.
First Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, 1861. A different crowd from those who are now launching the Third Civil War., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 13, 2022
The North Won the 1st Civil War; The South Won the 2nd; and its Successor Seems to be on its Way to Winning the 3rd I, and others, have come to characterize the period from the End of Reconstruction up to now as that in which "The South Won the Civil War." I present here a new consideration: that that period should be referred to as the Second Civil War, won by the South and its ideological successor, what I call the "Republo-fascist Party." This column then projects that the U.S. is now entering the "Third Civil War," over female autonomy.
Entrance Auschwitz I.  Sunshine.  Leafy trees.  What a background for mass murder., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 21, 2022
Teaching 'Both Sides' --- in Ohio Republicans in the Ohio State Legislature are proposing to mandate a "two sides" approach to the teaching of history in the public high schools. There has been a good deal of negative response to this proposal. Here I suggest that it might not be such a bad idea after all, depending of course upon what subjects are chosen for consideration, beginning with the "two sides" of legislative interference in public school curriculae.
Hiroshima aftermath.  Times 1000?!?, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 19, 2022
War-Gaming Against Fascism to Avoid MAD, with these Republicans: Really?" Recently in The New York Times a column discussed the threat of mutually-assured-destruction, MAD, which seemed to become particularly acute in the 1980s. The authors participated in war games designed to prevent that occurrence. They using the technique in the prevention of the onset of Republo-fascism (they do not use that term). I point out that it is not transferable. In MAD, neither side wanted to win. The Repubs. do.
Just like .Fox.News: Ready to bit., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 8, 2019
Looking Backward [to 2009]: Fox News, the Republican Party, and the Not-Loyal Opposition Fox and the Repub. Right: then (2009) and now: Jane Mayer's column in The New Yorker: click here. Nothing has changed except for the intensity and closeness of the connection.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 6, 2016
Are U.S. Political Party Splits Coming? Trump has no underlying political ideology. As a businessman who has had many ups and downs, he does what works at the moment.He is thus primarily a showman, who happens to running heavily, as is well known, on racism, xenophobia, misogyny and authoritarianism. Trump will either win the Presidency or he will become an historical anomaly, fading (slowly, perhaps, because he is so loud) into the mists of history.
Casablanca, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Retrospective No. 1: "I'm Shocked, Shocked (about the Libby Commutation), Not" This is the first in an occasional series that I will be running of columns that I published both on OpEdNews and other sites, that bear relevance to current events. There will be very slight, if any, editing, and contemporaneous notes in [ ].I wrote this one, in 2007, on the commutation by Pres. George W. Bush of the sentence that Scooter Libby received for lying and obstruction of Justice in the Valerie Plame case.
Ted Cruz: The Kids, the Wife, the Flags. Living the American Dream by the book. Yay!, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 22, 2016
The Republican-Christian Alliance Begins to Come Out If you don't find this philosophy of life in a man who wants to be President of all of the people of the United States totally frightening, you should. Even more frightening for me is that the likelihood of the mainstream media asking him about his theology and how it would govern his mode of governing as President is about as high as the likelihood that the Doctrine of Global Warming is a myth.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 9, 2023
On Secession, 1 "Secession" is becoming a major issue for certain leaders of the Republican Party (as referred to by certain observers, like me for example, as the "Republo-fascist Party) such as one of their principal current leaders, Marjorie Taylor Greene. This column is the first in a planned series. It summarizes some of the "why's" of the seceders. Future columns will deal with the practical and political issues, and those of principle
Sunset in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Due to the totally US-inspired .drug war,. in the past six years the sun has set on over 100,000 lives in Mexico., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 10, 2014
SATIRE: The U.S. Invades Mexico This is a fictional consideration of a U.S. invasion of Mexico. It is projected to follow the peaceful overthrow of the current elected government by a left-wing coalition, supported by the South American trade association, MERCOSUR. Their first two major policies are the abrogation of the NAFTA treaty and the legalization of the currently illicit drugs, under government control, to end the deadly "drug war.".
Ruger-SR556-Rifle. A converted pistol, actually. The weapon --- a non-mounted machine gun --- used by the recent mass-murderer in Boulder, CO., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 25, 2021
The Mass Murder Problem --- Again Regular readers of my columns will know that I write on this subject on a fairly regular basis, just as I do on racism. That is because just as this country is inflicted with systemic racism and has been since its beginnings, it has also been inflicted with gun violence for much of its existence. In its modern form, it is underwritten by the gun industry, supporting the Repubs. In this column I lay out a few new arguments.
Trump: The Grim Reaper indeed., From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 3, 2022
Flashing Red Lights and the Trumpsurrection of 2021 In consideration of the thoughts expressed by some at the time, and much more frequently since, that there were "Red Lights Flashing" before the Trumpsurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, I am republishing this column that I originally posted on Jan. 5, 2021. I think that it provides some perspective on what we as a nation are up against this time around (and sure as shootin', literally(?), there is going to be anohter time around.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 9, 2011
The Legalization of Gay Marriage in New York State: There's Good News and Bad News The legalization of gay marraige in New York State is certianly good news. The bad news, and it gets worse with every GOP "Presidential" debate, is that the GOP is running on politicla homophobia, as well as the old stand-by, political racism, and the latest iteration, political Islamophobia, more than ever. This is what must be addressed, fully and frontally.
.Twitter., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Stirring up a Tweet Storm(y)" Very simply, this columnms consists of a collection of (most of) the tweets that I have posted at my Twitter site (tter.com/tpjmagazine) since the end of last year. I hope that you will find them to be interest, and perhaps of enough interest that you will consider signing up at the site.
Look closely., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 25, 2020
The Trump Chronicles, 2019 As I said as the beginning of my previous two OpEdNews columns, as we come to the end of the first proto-fascist Presidency in U.S. history, in this series of a total of four columns, I present the "columns on Trump and Trumpism," one column for each of the Trump-years, with a brief comment on each. The purpose is to present elements of a contemporaneous view of the man's reign (ah, this man's most fervent wish).
Horthy the Regent. History's first fascist dictator.  Certainly looks the part, doesn't he?, From WikimediaPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Hungry for Hungary: Where does the Flavor Come From? The Republo-fascist Party and its CPAC mouthpiece, and the Hungarian dictator Viktor Orban, have a very close affinity for one another. The thesis presented in this column is that this affinity is not an accidental occurrence. Rather its origins stem about 100 years back, to the origins of the world's first fascist dictatorship, under Admiral Miklos Horthy, from which in my view, the Orban regime is directly descended.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 15, 2012
President Obama: Decisions, Decisions Here we have the Presidential decision to make. It's not about a legislative agenda. It's not even about which budget deal he is ready to cut. It's about first and foremost which domestic political direction is he going to go in, which political philosophy is he going to hew to: DLC or Democratic Progressive Caucus, Clintonian "triangulation" or moving forward to re-establish the traditional Democratic brand.
Besides being born with a silver spoon in his unfiltered mouth, Trump's defining trait is his cavalier lack of substance, a man arrogantly devoid of any true ideology or serious knowledge about anything, nor possessed of any real sense of responsibility f, From GoogleImages
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 22, 2016
The "Rightward Imperative" -- on Full Display at the RNC If indeed Trump does win, it will the prime example of how the use of the Rightward Imperative can propel the least qualified major party candidate ever in the United States into the most powerful position in the world. If that happens, gotta give it, and him, credit, for, if the Convention is any example, it sure wouldn't have been done on policies and programs.
'Preamble' (1987) by Mike Wilkins -- The Smithsonian American Art Museum 8th and F Streets NW Washington (DC) 2016. It doesn't scan TOO easily, but it does scan (more or less).  And man, what a job collecting those license plates!, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 13, 2018
"Elle" and "The Preamblers" The women's magazine Elle has recently undertaken an unusual initiative: On Nov. 6, 2018, 35 new women were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, making this incoming class the most diverse . . . in the body's 230-year history. They join nearly 70 women incumbents, resulting in over 100 women reps. To commemorate the milestone, ELLE.com captured 27 of these Congresswomen-Elect, reciting the Preamble to the Constitution
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 17, 2023
The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump The "Strange Case" in the title of this column refers to the series of events concerning a President/former-President, that have never before occurred in U.S.history: a series of potentially criminal cases with the man as the central focus of each, all coming together at the same time. He's confronted serial legal problems coming together in the past. But they have all been civil. This time they're criminal. That's different.
You can tell a book by its cover, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 20, 2017
The Serialization of The 15% Solution: How the Repub. Religious Right Took Control of the US: 1981-2022, Preface, Part 2 This entry, "Author's Preface," Part 2, was written in my voice, in 2013. It continues a description and analysis of where the major Republican Party candidates for the 2012 Repub. nomination stood on certain major issues. The similarity between those positions and those taken by the leading political figures in the book is not coincidental.
Donald Trump, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 3, 2017
A Trump Retrospective Not too many observers, including myself, thought he could win the Presidency. But hindsight is 20/20. Now, given the strength of his combination of bringing out into the open the Repubs' traditional racism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and misogyny, and the many weaknesses of the Democratic Party and its candidate, it seems almost inevitable.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 12, 2016
The "Iran Attack," Jan. 12, 2016: Whose False Flag, if any? The "Iran Attack on the U.S. Navy?" The timing, on the day of President Obama's last State of the Union Message, in which he is apparently going to feature the Iran Nuclear Deal as one of his major achievements, seems more than coincidental, at least to me? False flag, anyone?
Party Insiders for Bush vs Clinton.  They in fact could meet in their middle: .moderately. right v. not-too-far right, with not too much distance between them.  Did you see the one with Bill and GWB?  Why they just looked like old buddies., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 10, 2014
The Clintons, Part II: HRC's Future(?) This is the second of the series on the Clintons. There is at least one reason why they have stayed together for this long: their politics. This one is on Hillary. Will she be taking a "Third Way?"
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 5, 2010
The Wages of Hate: The Development of Political Homophobia Homophobia has been around for a long time. It turns up in the Old Testament of the Bible as well as in the New. The Republican Religious Right relies on that view in support of its homophobia, and cites chapters and verses in support of it. But the use of homophobia as a direct political weapon, designed to help win elections for a given political party, can be seen to be an invention of the modern US Republican Party.
Is Robert Dear a radical, a hate crime offender, or a terrorist? If he is a radical, who radicalised him? The media has failed to focus on this nutcase's history of violence to women, including repeated rape., From TwitterPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Terrorism, US Politics, and the US Media in the United States, acts that can be described as "terroristic" such as "the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes," or "the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal" have one very peculiar characteristic. They have been done, or made to appear to have been done, by Muslims.
Pope Francis rips capitalism and trickle-down economics.  Once again, as it has since the Council of Nicea, the Catholic Church is on the march to stay up with the march of history., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 24, 2015
A Clash of Capitalisms, Revisited Given that Ukraine/Russia remains very much in the news, I thought to revisit my column, with a modest update, that original appeared in this space last September (see reference in the text). It presents my view of what the conflict is really about. That is, at its base, it is indeed a "clash of capitalisms."
Themis, the second wife of Zeus. She is the personification of justice, divine order, fairness, law, and custom. In the U.S., especially in dealing with minorities and the poor, honored only in the breach., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 24, 2022
Prosecute Trump? Not Yet This column concerns the controversy over whether on not to try Trump, not because he might be innocent and so trying him would be unfair, but because of the violence and long-term political retribution that might follow. This column offers some thoughts on a way to navigate this potential disaster for the nation, and still bring Trump to justice.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 23, 2012
I Knew Sen. George McGovern When Sen. George McGovern died on October 21, 2012, the United States lost the last true progressive nominee it has had for the Presidency since he ran in 1972. In this column I am privileged to share with you some thoughts about the Senator, some knowledge of his World War II service to our nation that are not widely known, and some prescient words that he wrote in a Foreword to a political book of mine.
They are up there, and for them, so are we., From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Life on Another Planet Would Have a Lot to Teach Us I was stimulated to write this particular column by the recent discoveries from the Kepler telescope on the existence of a fairly large number of "Earth-like" planets elsewhere in the Universe. But it is on a subject with which I have been intrigued for quite some time: what would it take for an "intelligent" species on another planet to survive for rather longer than the time ours seems to have in its destiny: short.
Fascism - could happen here, for real. And it would likely look something like this., From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 14, 2018
The Serialization of The 15% Solution (6): Chapter 1 This is the 6th installment of the current serialization of my book, originally published in 1996, The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022 (click here). It consists of Chap. 1: Is the Stage Being Set for Fascism?
A view of the .Freedom Tower,. the replacement for the Twin Towers, from New York Harbor., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 10, 2021
9-11 20th Anniversary Retrospective III: 20 Questions Briefly, this column, the third in my series "previous columns on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy of 9-11, deals briefly with the earlier "28 pages" controversy, and then goes on to present "20 Questions" about the events of the day and the responses to them that have yet to be dealt with in any detail (and some --- like the President's delay in responding to being informed of the attack --- in no detail at all).
Paying respects at the Mandela statue in Washington, DC.  Yes, indeed.  And there is hope for us, too!, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 19, 2013
Nelson Mandela, the U.S. Right and Ronald Reagan On the death of Nelson Mandela there has been much current writing on the history of the struggle against apartheid of which Mandela came to be the principal leader. There has not been too much mention of how Mandela and the movement he led for so many years, and for so many of them from behind bars as a symbol, was, and still is, treated by the US Right. That is what th is column is about.
The US Capitol Lit Up, fortunately only by lights. But after the Trumpassault, we can never look at it in the same way., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 10, 2021
He Tried: Trump's White Supremacy Was The Match That Lit Wednesday's American Reichstag Fire This column discusses the Trumpassault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. It examines its root ideological cause, which, of course, is this nation's original sin, racism and its accompanying Doctrine of White Supremacy. It got Trump to the Presidency, but is now draped all over him on his way out. It remains to be seen if the Biden Admin. will become the first one in U.S. history to finally consign it to the dustbin of history.
Golly gee. Whose thinking does this advertisement remind you of?  Couldn't be the Trumpublicans(C), could it?, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Trump and Fascism, A Retrospective Series, Part 2: Race is the Trump Card This is the second in this series of past commentaries on Trump, fascism, and its underlying doctrines (in this case, for the U.S., that of White Supremacy and racism) published earlier on BuzzFlash and then republished recently on the same journal. The original version of this column was published in 2011.
President Trump and Prime Minister Abe Golfing. Well, they are now both gone., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 10, 2021
A Retro. Series, Trump and Fascism, 2011-2020, (lastly) Part Six: "What a Trump Win Might Look Like" This is the sixth (and last) part in my current "Trump and Fascism: A Retrospective Series," originally published on Buzzflash.com. The first part ran about three weeks ago, the second part about ten days ago, the third part three days ago, the fourth part two days ago, and the fifth part yesterday. As we get deeper into the 2nd Impeachment Trial this is the last part in this series,from the perspectives of 2019 and 2020.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 22, 2013
On Nullification and North Carolina What is known as "The Nullification Crisis" in US history occurred in 1832-33. It concerned a new Federal tariff, intended to protect domestic manufacturers. But many of those in the South, had to pay more for domestic than for foreign goods , were very upset about it. South Carolina proposed to "nullify" the Act. Now North Carolina has proposed to "nullify" certain provisions of the US Constitution, regarding religion.
911: President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney in President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), 09/11/2001.  Just wondering.  Are those titles reversed?  In any case, is Bush saying, .you did what?!?., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 13, 2014
The Significance of Dick Cheney, Part II Here's Part II of this series. It is easy to come up with an "evils" list for Dick Cheney. What I am discussing here is how in one person, the ruling class and the state apparatus, usually kept separate, are melded together.
Trump: .Ah now, all you sheep. Just listen!  As for you wolves in there somewhere, I know that you will be listening VERY carefully, won't you.., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 9, 2021
Elections 2020, Predictions Revisited As I say in the introduction to this column --- The day before the 2020 Elections in this space I published a set of predictions about them and Trump. I thought that it would be fun (and perhaps instructive too) to revisit them and see just how accurate and inaccurate they were. I do have to say that, right or wrong (and I was both --- particularly in not predicting anything like the Trumpsurrection) I did have fun doing it
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 6, 2011
Race is the Trump Card Not so long ago in a land not far away part was ruled by a tiny oligarchy of large landowners. They made their wealth in part off the backs of unpaid farm laborers for whom they provided nothing more than minimal food and shelter, in part by trading in those laborers as property, and in part off the backs of another group of (much smaller) landowners/small farmers, who were poor. How did the oligarchs keep the two apart?
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 13, 2013
Barack Obama: Bill Clinton/DLC 2.0 Concerned about "Obama cooperating with the Right?" It all started with Bill and his colleagues at the old DLC. This column is about that relationship. (Not considered here is the outburst from Bill on Obama not intervening in Syria. Why do that? Well, it has nothing to do with any feasible policy. It has everything to do with trying to create, even this early, distance between Obama and Hillary when she runs in 2016.)
40.StopGorsuch.USSC.WDC.31Janu ary2017.  Indeed he is, and will be for a very long time., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 11, 2018
Retrospective No. 4: "On the 'Baker's Case' and LGBTQ Rights" The original version of this column was published in this space last December, at: click here, the day after Supreme Court heard the arguments in the "Baker's Refusal" case. I think it useful to revisit the matter in the light of the Court's horribly retrograde decision.
This is the Diktat that the Republican Religious Right would install to have power over us all., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 30, 2022
Reversing the Attack on Women's Bodily Autonomy Roe v. Wade has succumbed to the Religious Authoritarians, mainly of the Republican Religious (Christian) Right. This column is about the majority opinion, written by Justice Alito, in the case that gave Roe in. It is also about other strategies to protect the right to choose (for women who would like to have it) that might have been used (like employing the doctrine of religious authoritarianism) and how they might be used.
Many of these women on the right have brains inversely proportional to their looks. It's a matter for sociologists and cultural historians to figure why Republicans and the Right, in general, attract (or generate?] so many of these Stepford wife specimens, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Republican Genius: Democratic Complicity Virtually every major problem our nation faces is either the outcome of Republican policy or has been made worse by it. The "dysfunctional government in Washington" has been created by purposeful Repub. policy that Mitch McConnell began to set up even before Barack Obama's first inauguration. Republicans pin all of the problems that basically Republicans initiated on "the government" and "the Democrats."
John Boehner - Crying for a leader!, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 16, 2013
The GOP's 2016 Agenda --- As of mid-2013 As many of my regular readers know, one of my favorite topics over time has been the contemporary Republican Party and where they are taking the country. I was about to do another one of my speculative columns on that subject when I was supplied with some apparently factual information about what the party is really up to in order to gain full power in the Federal government. And that's what this column is about.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 15, 2021
Trump Wins (a fabrication, this time around) This column is a fictional account of a) the possibility that the Trump-Coup-via-Insurrection attempt would have been successful, and b) one scenario that might have played out if it had been. It's not fun, folks. And anyone who has a think that a) fascism in a Trump-21st century form is not a possibility in the US, b) has another think coming. In this column, I was waiting to see if I could make it to Canada. I hope I did.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Argh! This one says it all (except how personally corrupt he is)., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 17, 2018
Retrospective No. 3: "Why the Current Israeli Government Will Not Negotiate (Seriously)" In the light of the current outrages committed by Trump (the embassy relocation/provocation) and Netanyahu (the Gaza massacres), it seems to me appropriate to republish a column that I first posted on The Greanville Post in 2011.
GOP Debate: Rubio and Cruz Clash, From YouTubeVideos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Cruzbio's Cuba, and Selling the System Would the Cuban people really like to have the Cruzbio "U.S." model imposed on them, and then lose everything they have gained over the years, in return for having an "opposition party" or two, which if it/they were to be modelled on the Repubs so close to the Cruzbio model, could actually run on racism and homophobia, while destroying the national health and free national education? I don't think so.
Marco Rubio, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Marco Rubio, Political Religion, and the Republican Party Playing to the Republican party's reactionary base, many candidates are prepared to abrogate the separation of Church and state, as mandated by the Constitution. Rubio is currently cynically exploiting this issue, but others may soon contest the same turf. The Republican Party wants to place its religious concept of pregnancy and pregnancy rights above all others.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 11, 2010
Jonathan Westminster: The 15% Solution, Serialization, 1st Installment: Preface This is the 1st installment of the serialization of "The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022." The author's pseudonym is Jonathan Westminster. A full guide to the series can be found at the lower right of the Home Page of www.tpjmagazine.us. The book is purportedly published in the year 2048 on the 25th Anniv. of Constitutional Democracy in the Re-United States.
Civil War II won't look anything like this one., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 13, 2022
Some (relatively) Brief (believe it or not) Thoughts on the Prospects for Civil War and/or Secession A possible second U.S. civil war in the context of oncoming Republo-fascism is much in the news these days. This column presents some preliminary thoughts on the matter, plus some thoughts on the related prospect for secession, in the context of a possible Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade (which reversal could became as significant as the Dred Scott decision).
GOP contenders among
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 5, 2015
The Propaganda Tail Wags the Party Dog Citizens' United has made it possible for candidates to run completely independent of the party, while using the label, should they choose to do so. Until recently I thought that C.U. was different only in degree, not in kind, from previous election financing regulations.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Death of the Mythical Middle The death of the mythical "Political Middle" recently occured in our neighbor to the north. In the Canadian elections of 2011 the Conservative Party maintained its control of the government. But finishing second, taking a significant numbers of seats in the Parliament, was the heretofore vocal but rather small New Democratic Party (NDP), a self-styled social democratic one. The traditional number one or two finished third.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 1, 2012
Karl Rove's Permanent Republican Presidency By the middle of the first decade of this century, Karl Rove was dreaming of what he called "The Permanent Republican Majority." That is he thought that he could achieve a majority vote among the 50% or so of US eligible voters who actually vote, for the Republican candidates for the Presidency, on a permanent basis. When he realized he could not achieve that aim, permanently, he decided to go for the Perm. Repub. Presidency.
Tomorrowland in Hong Kong Disneyland.  Yes, by golly, there really is a Disney .Tomorrowland,. in the artifical city founded by Imperial Britain in 1841, Hong Kong., From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 18, 2015
"Tomorrowland:" A consideration "Tomorrowland," the movie: some considerations on the political/economic issues it poses -- but doesn't deal with.
The Flood, preparations for., From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 7, 2014
So What's Noah with You? First, pardon the pun in the title, but I couldn't resist. This review is not so much about the movie (which I happened to like, and anyway, I'm a big Russell Crowe fan). It is rather about the abundance of Creation and Flood myths and a bit of the history of the so-called "innerant [English-language] Bible," one of the myriad of languages into which the original Hebrew and Greek text has been translated, over the centuries.
One more
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 22, 2015
The Charlie Hebdo Massacre: The Right-Wing Benefits The Permanent War crowd, mainly in the U.S., but present in other imperialist countries as well, benefits tremendously from these events. I'm just waiting for the Cheney/McCain/Graham cabal to get on all the media, demanding that Obama send in troops. Where? Not exactly sure. The winnable mission? Not exactly sure. How to pay for it? Not exactly sure. How to sell it to the US people? Not exactly sure. But send them in!
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 18, 2016
Torture, the Republican Party and the Constitution The use of torture by US authorities is simply unconstitutional. Under article VI of the U.S. Constitution, as treaties signed and ratified by the U.S. government, both Conventions are part of "the supreme law of the land and [further] the judges of every state shall be bound by them." This, not arguments over whether it "works" or doesn't, is the central one for this country and its political leadership.
What?  You expected me to run a caricature?  Well, everybody else is doing that!, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 22, 2014
The GOP's Christie Response: Two Wrongs Make a Right "Hoboken" broke after I first wrote this column. But Joe Scarborough didn't disappoint in spouting another of the standard GOP responses to potentially bad news. As a lawyer he is very familiar with the old saw: "If you don't have the law, argue the facts; if you don't have the facts, argue the law. If you have neither, attack ad hominem." He just tore into the Hoboken Mayor. Thanks, Joe for making my point, doubling down.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 4, 2013
The Mysteries of Edward Snowden Much has been written about this young man. It is likely that much will be written about his adventures/achievements for quite some time in the future. This column deals with a few of the less-considered questions about him and his exploits and suggests that the discussion should return from Edward Snowden himself to the substance of what he has revealed about US government functions around the world.
A Creation Museum dinosaur, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 13, 2014
Perusing Creation.com As I say in the introduction to this column, recently, while preparing a review of the movie Noah (previouslyu published on OpEdNews), knowing that the Christian Right had their collective noses bent out of shape by the movie, I sought to gather some background on creationism. And so, I thought, what better place to go than the website that bears that name Creation.com. And what a fascinating visit it turned out to be.
Roe vs. Wade anniversary sparks protest, From YouTubeVideos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 22, 2016
Winning Abortion Wars: 4 Words Needed for the Battle: "Religious Authoritarianism" and "Republican Party" Whether the penalties, were abortion to be formally criminalized, would fall on the person performing the abortion or on the woman receiving it is irrelevant. The anti-abortion-rights forces are engaging in Religious Authoritarianism. They are using their religious beliefs as the foundation for their campaign to change the law governing everyone.
Sniper Calling: He's one of ours; so he's OK, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 12, 2015
The Tragedies of "American Sniper" "American Sniper" is a movie of many tragedies. This column reveiws some of them.
Federal Shutdown Explained: if they can't win by going through the Democratic/Constitutional processes, why there is always legislative blackmail., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 12, 2013
The GOP Took Its Clothes Off in Public: It Was Not a Pretty Sight, Even for Some Republicans The artificial "continuing resolution" and"debt-ceiling" crises came and went, accompanied by the GOP/government shutdown. But while the bulk of the attention was paid to the Tea Party/minority control of the House, early in the drama the GOP did something it rarely does: reveal what its true substantive agenda is about. They usually of course focus only on process: "lower taxes and smaller governemnt." And so this column.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Corporate Power vs. National Interest Capitalism The first instance of that commie menace, national health insurance, appeared in Germany when it was an imperial monarchy. The Kaiser, and Chancellor Bismarck too, must have been secret commies, probably not born in Germany, either of them. Actually, what we had there was Actually, what we had there was an early appearance of what can be called National Interest Capitalism.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 28, 2013
The MSNBC Documentary of the Bush War on Iraq: Filling in Some Gaps This excellent documentary is still running on MSNBC. It is well worth taking a look at. In approximately 50 minutes of air time, one can hardly expect that all of the details of the Grand Deception and Big Lie can be covered. It is very possible that many of those details that I retell are to be found in the book on which the documentary is based (which I have not read). At any rate, here are some additional thoughts.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 23, 2015
Francis: A True Pope for all Seasons? This Pope may well feel that the replacement of capitalism is indeed the only route to the survival of the Earth, in a form that is at least somewhat familiar to us. But I think that he certainly feels that if the Church is to remain as the major world institution it has been since the time of the Council of Nicea, major change is essential.
Secretary Pompeo Delivers a Speech, .After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy., at the Heritage Foundation.  Boy, that worked out well, didn't it?  (See an upcoming column on .Iran --- Some History., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 16, 2024
This is Your Heritage (Foundation) This column is about The Heritage Society that progenitor of top-of-the-line Reactionary Policy, Trump, and one of his leading campaign proposals, "Project 2025." Without the benefit of legislation passed under provisions of The Constitution, it would turn the Federal Civil Service back to what it was like before the passage of the Civil Service Act in 1883: the President's play toy. Oh yes too, they engage in much red-baiting
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 25, 2010
Dr. J.'s BF Commentary No. 161: Peace in Our Time: Obama's Munich, Part II The way that Adolf Hitler negotiated with Neville Chamberlain on the Czech situation at Munich and why Hitler refused to seriously negotiate with him on the proffered deal, except to get a complete capitulation as Hitler did at Munich, speaks volumes about what is going now between Obama and his DLC/Right vs. McConnell/Boehner and their GOP/Far-Right over fiscal and economic policy.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Observations on the 2nd Repub. "Debate" One wonders where the Kochs will go with their money. My guess is to the quiet man on the set, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio. He is truly far-right, but in that group he appears to be "reasonable." He is still my pick for the Repub. nomination, with Fiorina for Vice. And I think that after due consideration, the Kochs will go there too.
Antonin Scalia ---Still with us, even from the grave., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Let's Hear it for Original Intent As the confirmation process for Trump's third Supreme Court Justice barrels along, we are going to her alot about "Original Internet," a favorite saw of Justice Scalia (except when it wasn't). In my book "The 15% Solution" I wrote a fictional Supreme Court decision, authored by "Chief Justice Steps" that overturns "Marbury v. Madison" etc., revoking established Review power for the Court. This column presents that chapter.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 27, 2013
Sex, the Military, and Combat Readiness When the issue of homosexuality in the US military and its open recognition without penalty (which in virtually all cases meant discharge), was front and center, the public concerns raised by both military and even more so by political opponents of gay equality in the military always was presented in the context of the issue of "combat readiness." Somehow rape never seemed to come in that context. This column considers it.
LGBT LOVE, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Whose God is it Anyway? Two couples walk into a county clerk's office, each wanting to get a marriage license. The gay couple belongs to the liberal branch of the Lutheran Church, and on most Sundays attends their local parish, whose minister happens to be a married lesbian. The members of the lesbian couple are both atheists.
GOP Formula.  This one says it all, doesn't it?, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 1, 2014
The GOP's Grand Plan: The 15% Solution Yes, indeed, here is the Grand Plan of the GOP. They have made what they are already doing, and will do with even more intensity in the future, abundantly clear. As for any similarity between the title of this column and the title of my book by the same name, that is purely intentional. For I didn't make that name up. I got it from the program's designers, who originally formulated it in the late 80s.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 15, 2017
The Serialization (6) of The 15% Solution: Section 2; The History. Chap. 3: The Real Drug War; Part 1 President Trump's (carefully chosen) Attorney General Jefferson Davis P.G.T Beauregard Sessions (his full name) has just announced that he plans to re-intensify the "Drug War," starting off with the re-institution, across the board, of mandatory minimum prison sentences for non-violent drug law offenders, across the board. If he does give a major speech on his "new" program, he might like this one.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 23, 2010
Jonathan Westminster: "The 15% Solution," Serialization, 4th Installment: Chapter Three This is the fourth installment of a project that is likely to extend over a two-year-period from January, 2010. It is the serialization of a book entitled The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022 . This chapter describes how, the fictional Republican candidate , a not-too-bright personage totally beholden to the Religious Right, managed to win the Presidency.
.And I still want the job --- permanently.., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 10, 2020
(The Other) Dr. J.'s Trump Chronicles, 2017 This column is the first of a series of four under the title "(The Other) Dr. J.'s Trump Chronicles. Each one will reprise briefly the columns on Trump that I have published on each of the four years of his Presidency. Note the word "fascism," which, unlike some other users of the term, I always define in some detail, appears frequently. By the way, THE "Dr. J." is the great basketball player from the 1970s, Julius Erving.
Says it all.  And the Basque have their own language too.  (As does Catalonia.), From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, February 21, 2021
On Secession (by the democratic states) Secession has been proposed by some authorities in some of the states from whence significant support for the concept of the "Stolen Election" and the subsequent Trumpsurrection(C) came. This columns argues that it might be just a great idea if the states devoted to the concept of democracy, which happen for the most part to be located on the two coasts, themselves seceded.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 23, 2012
Ask Senator Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is steadily climbing the GOP polls. He may even win in Michigan, one of the several home states of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. At any rate, having done "Ask" columns on Newt and the other Rick (Perry, remember him?) I believe that the Senator has risen far enough that he deserves one too. So here goes.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 17, 2013
The Permanence of Permanent War, Part 1: Setting the Stage So what is the "War on Terror" (described some time ago by a retired Army general as the equivalent in terminology to a "War on Flanking Maneuvers") really about? Well it and the response to it are really about creating a state of Permanent War for the United States. This column is part 1 of my consideration of this subject.
Netanyahu glaring at UNO audience. The man is nothing if not shamelessly audacious., From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Did Netanyahu Play the Holocaust Card One Time too Many? Just when is Bibi going to give up this charade? It impresses no one except his Israeli and U.S. Repub. followers and the Israeli ruling class that knows if Netanyahu and his no-negotiations-ever buddies are ever voted out of office, Israel's military industrial complex will take a major hit. So the answer to the above question is "never."
Trump: The Grim Reaper indeed., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Further on Trump, Post-Election This is another in my series of post-election "Trump" columns. This one deals especially with his trying to make things as bad for the incoming Biden administration so that he and his monsters-in-crime can work as hard as they can to blame everything on the incoming President from Day One, the legal difficulties he will be facing, and how he will also work as hard as he can to create the Biggest Con of his life.
Steve Mnuchin debt. Ah.  He and Trump have soooo much in common!, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 18, 2019
A Trump-commentary Tweetstorm Trump tweetstorms have become so commonplace, that most people don't even take shelter from them anymore. But in the light of the issuance of the Barr Report today to which "I'm-so-innocent" Trump responded with a massive, mainly negative, tweetstorm, I thought to do a tweetstorm of my own. And so here is a series of tweets on the subject of Trump, published at twitter.com/tpjmagazine.
Fox News Wins the Debate, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 13, 2015
Duopoly Watch: Who Won the Fox Republican "Debate?" Why Fox, of Course The Fox "News" folks are nothing if not smart. They knew that they were not going to get rid of Trump by either debating him on a rational basis or being nice to him. They figured that the only way to get rid of him was to let him sink himself, which they hope, with every utterance, he is doing. That's just a risk they are going to have to take.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Passing of Andrew Breitbart: Know Thine Enemies One Andrew Breitbart died a couple of weeks ago. His passing and its aftermath was all the buzz on websites Left and Right, that is until Limbaugh exploded with his death wish both for himself and for the GOP. But I think that things that were said and not said about Breibart's passing are still instructive. And so.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Is Homophobia Curable? The homophobes, Republican, Religious-rightist, and other, are constantly going on about homosexuality being "curable." This despite the raft of scientific evidence (well, they don't often pay any attention to science anyway) that it is an in-born state of being. On the other hand, homophobia is likely a learned behavior, and if so is curable. This column discusses that possibility.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 11, 2012
Words Matter: Why Go Right When the Right is Wrong? As I say towards the beginning of this column, in the political battles that we are constantly engaged, words matter. As it happens, many of the words presently used in the mainstream media and political culture are mis-leading. The other side knows just how important the words one chooses are. In this column I make some suggestions for our side, to get on the right side (that is the LEFT side) of this one.
The mythic flagwaving Reagan. A mediocre actor but a powerful propaganda tool for the corporate establishment, Reagan's regime demarcates the liberaloid past from the new age of ever more blatant plutocratic-imperialist control. The Reagan regime proved t, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 11, 2015
The GOP and the Rightward Imperative In the course of their debates, certain GOP candidates, especially Fiorina (who is really running for the Vice-Presidential nomination) try to burnish their Presidential credentials by showing "how hard they can go after Hillary." After all, it's a good way to avoid answering embarrassing questions.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 16, 2016
Orlando, Trump, Identity-Group-Hate-Politics, and the Republican Party Trump is now moving into new territory, even for Republicans, and that is what has got some of the leadership upset. The attack on "the Muslims" is of a different order of magnitude. For he is clearly linking it to "national security," and like many an authoritarian figure before him, as many other observers have said, fear is his currency.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
Donald Trump, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Understanding Trump, Easy: Carson, Hard? Well, No if you are a Republican and want to pretend that your party does not run on racism and has not ever done so -- Nixon, Reagan (of the "welfare queen" dog whistle), G.W. Bush of the "Willie Horton" ad, down to the present time -- why not Carson? At least for now. And then you can say, "see, I'm not a racist. I support the black guy."
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
The clock ticks down.  Will he still be in the U.S. when it strikes noon on January 20, 2021?, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 12, 2021
The Trump Chronicles, 2020, Part 2 This is the last in what is now a 5-part series that together list all of the columns on Trump that I have published on OpEdNews during the four years of his Presidency. This is the second section of the columns on him that I published in 2020. Several of his predecessors, such as Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Herbert Hoover are much relieved. None can any longer be considered "the worst U.S. President."
The U.S. Covid 19 pandemic (or as I call it, the Trumpidemic2020[C]): What Trump will be most remembered for., From PixabayPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 29, 2020
The Trump Chronicles, 2020, Part 1 This is a continuation of the series of columns in which I am listing, with brief introductions, each of the columns on Donald Trump that I have published in this space over the four years of his Presidential term. It presents half of the Trump-columns that I published on OEN in 2020. The second half will go up next week.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 6, 2013
Bombing the Constitution The Boston Bombing has brought about serious loss of life and multiple serious injuries. However, in the long-term the most serious outcome of it may the bombing that it wreaked upon our Constitution. And that is what this column is about.
Trump. For how long will he continue to cast a shadow upon the flag?, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 12, 2020
Some Random Thoughts on the 2020 Elections As the title says, these are some random thoughts on the 2020 Elections. They start with an observation on their historical importance and end with some speculation on what might or might not happen to Trump when he leaves office, in the matters of civil and criminal investigations and actions.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 31, 2016
Why the Repub. Establishment (such as it is) Doesn't Like Trump The primary reason why the Repub. establishments are against Trump is that he obviously would be uncontrollable and unpredictable. They don't care so much about the wild statements as they do about the fact that so far he has run on his own money and his phenomenal ability to get free air time. So, although this would change in the general election campaign, at least for now he doesn't owe them anything.
Series: Trump, from 2011 (20 Articles, 21963 views)
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, February 20, 2016
Antonin Scalia: a Bundle of Contradictions the only thing Scalia was consistent with was his consistent pursuit of his far-right-wing goals. He was an "originalist" when it suited his politics; not one when it didn't. Or one can more kindly say, please do think of Scalia as an originalist -- that is except when he wasn't.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 24, 2010
Dr. J.'s BF Commentary No. 159: Obama and the DLC: Post-Election, 2010 This is the beginning of a series on Obama and the DLC/Right, which is only not Right-Wing by contrast with the GOP/Far Right, and what needs to be done by Progressive Democracy to save the nation from a fascist future. Oh, you don't think that the DLC (that is the Democratic Leadership Council that has been controlling the Democratic Party since Bill Clinton was its chair in the 1980's) is Right-wing?
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The Permanence of Permanent War, Part 2 - The "Three P's:" Power, Profits, and the Promotion of Fear In my column on this subject yesterday, I endeavoured to "set the stage" for a consideration of this subject. Today, I am dealing with the question "why?" It has nothing to do with the "War on Terror" (which is a "war" only in the sense that a "War on Flanking Manuevers" can be considered a war.)It all comes down to what can be called "The Three P's:" Power, Profits, and the Promotion of Fear."
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The GOP's Presidential Dilemma What is their dilemma? In a sentence, who would they rather have sitting in the Oval Office just after noon on January 20, 2013 - the present White House occupant or one of the not quite ready for prime time bunch who have declared their run for the GOP Presidential nomination.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Supreme Court and "Playing Politics:" The Upper Upper House of the U.S. Legislature Ah that Supreme Court. "Playing politics" again. Again?!? Well it has done so almost since its beginnings. Here's a brief history of that subject.
Donald Trump. .Ah me; gotta love me.., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 18, 2020
The Trump Chronicles, 2018 This column is the second in the series that I am running of my columns on Trump and various aspects of Trumpism, as they were published serially on OpEdNews, by year. It continues to amaze just how much attention this man commanded, in all of his evil, and how much writing it generated. If the nation still exists in a 100 years, dissertation proposals will still be being generated by his being and all of the damage he did.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Ruling elite politician to the hilt. A machine apparatchik for the duopoly with few peers., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 8, 2016
The Democratic Party Debate, 12/19/15, and the GOP ebates were carefully arranged by the Clinton Campaign's de facto chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, otherwise known as the Chairwoman (sic) of the Democratic National Committee, to be at a time when the fewest people could possibly be watching. We would not want anything--like Bernie Sanders' candidacy, for example--to get in the way of the coronation of Hillary Rodham Clinton as the Democratic Party's nominee, would we?
Scott Pruitt.  Why so glum, chum?  Not enough protection?, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 12, 2018
Short Takes II: On Trump-stuff (What Else[?]) and Some Other Stuff Too This is the second in this occasional series of expanded Tweets of mine. My Twitter address, by the way, is: "thepolticaljunkies@tpjmagazine," tter.com/tpjmagazine.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, July 13, 2010
It Ain't Gonna Happen, Frank Obama, do the right thing(s)? It ain't gonna happen and has nothing to do with the President's personality --- "no drama Obama," "he doesn't want to come across as an angry black man," "he needs to be loved." Nor does it have to do with "trusting the smart guys." It has everything to do with the politics of the Democratic Leadership Council (and their very own "smart guys"), for which he is the current torch-bearer.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 6, 2012
Mitt's Army of God Mitt the "moderate" has told us that "God created the United States." But he didn't stop there. He has also told us that God gave the U.S. the mission to "lead the world," apparently whether the world likes it or not. Among other things, this tells us a lot about Mitt's concept of "God."
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 12, 2012
What's it All About, Bibi? So there was one Danny Danon, a Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset and leading member of the leading Right-Wing Israeli political party, Likud, on "Morning Joe" on Sept. 12, 2012, stating that what the United States (!) had to do with Iran was "draw a red line" in reference to their nuclear development program. This column considers that demand, and what it is really all about --- which is not Iran and the bomb.
December 10, 2013, march for voting rights, New York City, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 29, 2014
No, You Can't Vote: The GOP and Their "15% Solution" Voter supression has become a major GOP strategy as they aim towards the 2014 and 2016 elections. But it is not new, for the GOP. It was actually first articulated in the late 1980s, as illustrated in my book, "The 15% Solution," and explained briefly in this column.
Karl Rove and The Law, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 15, 2013
The GOP: From "Permanent Republican Majority" to Permanent Minority Government The GOP has gone from hoping to create a Permanent (electoral) Majority by mobilizing the religious determinists and cheating-the-vote to establishing a Permanent Minority Government by the above plus gerrymandering and voter supression. It's a neat trick. You can thank Karl Rove and his allies first, and then the Koch brothers and theirs.
America Needed George McGovern, the Fighting Pilot of World War II: He Could have Put It Together, if Given the Chance, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 30, 2014
The City of Conversation: Remembrances by Steve Jonas A play about Washington politics pulls up many personal memories over the past 50 years. I retail some of them in this column.
Trump Tower (NYC).  What a shame it would be if it had to be sold to help pay his fines/penalties/costs-of-defamation., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 22, 2024
Trump's Seven Magic Tricks Revisited, again This column is about Trump's "Seven Magic Tricks," a subject on which I have been writing since the time when he only had six. First I review the Seven and how he has used them in the past. Then I discuss how he might be able (or not) to use them this time around. And of course, as everyone knows, this time is different, because now he is enmeshed in the criminal, not the civil, law. The tricks might no longer work. We'll see.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 5, 2024
And Now for Something Completely Different: Dr. J's Guides for Healthy Living While I am a a regular contributor to OpEdNews.com on history and politics, for this column I am taking a very different focus. As a career Professor of Preventive Medicine I have published a number of books and numerous columns/articles on various aspects of personal health and wellness. And so, in this first column for the New Year, 2024, I am sharing with you "Dr. J.'s 20 Guides for Healthy Living," developed over time.
Republican Elephant: watch out below!, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 23, 2014
A GOP Senate: Good News or Bad News? A GOP Senate? Calamity or opportunity? Well, that all depends upon just how the Democrats would be respond. Just remember the Chinese nugget on "crisis/opportunity."
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-04062A%2C N%C3%BCrnberg%2C Reichsparteitag%2C SA- und SS-Appell. Now wouldn't Trump like to have a rally THAT size!, From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 27, 2023
'Warnung:' A Repeat This column, like the last one of mine, is a re-run. And like the last one of mine, "Is it Hair Trump, or is it Herr Trump" it is interceded to confront the real-and-present danger that Trump, his MAGA supporters, and more importantly, his U.S. ruling-class sponsors, present to our Constitutional Democracy. The difference is that this one is drawn form a book that was originally published in 1935. Talk about foresight.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 13, 2012
Rappelling Down the Fiscal Cliff: A Proposed How-to Guide for Progressives Well, the "negotiations" are going on over dealing with "Fiscal Cliff" (which is more like a fiscal slope). Given the Republican intransigence and acting as if they, not the Democrats, had won the election, President Obama is starting to sound as if he is negotiating with himself. Here is a proposed progressive guide, with much credit due to the Progressive Congressional Caucus, for how to effectively deal with the situation.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 7, 2013
Establishing Dictatorships: Lessons from History Authoritarian/fascist regimes have come to rule a variety of countries by a variety of routes. It may surprise you to know that one of the few such dictatroships that came to its country by more-or-less constitutional means was that of the German Nazis. Now there is another country on the horizon where just such a thing might happen. Guess which one I am talking about.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 21, 2013
The More Things Change: The Origins and Traditions of the Republican Party It happens that I first published this column just about a week in advance of the annual Conservative (really Reactionary) Political Action Committee (CPAC) meetings (doesn't it seem as of they are always occurring? I guess that's because these folks are always getting air time, and not just on the Fox"News"Channel," year round.) At any rate, there are not two wings of the GOP. This column looks at where they both come from.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 21, 2013
The Demise of the GOP? Fuhgeddaboudit! Morning Joe's Joe Scarborough is a self-described "small-government conservative," a GOP House stalwart during the Gingrich period, a supporter of every Grinchite right-wing policy and process put forth, the now-admirer of Bill Clinton who was then right there with the impeachers, who is now bemoaning "what has happened to the Republican Party." Is the GOP really going to sink into mist because of its rhetoric? Fuhgeddaboudit!
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 12, 2024
"The Two Leading Candidates for their Party's Nomination on the Causes of the Civil War; Not This column is about causes of the Civil War. A) The institution of slavery and its continued expansion into the Western territories was the principal issue that caused the Civil War. B) Negotiations on the issues of slavery itself, and its expansion into the Western territories had been underway since the Constitutional Convention. (But of course, given what he reads, why should former Pres. Trump be expected to know this?
Criminality and and even buffoonery are inherent in those seeking the top political office (frontmen) in today's American empire., From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 29, 2016
The Republican Platform: The Democratic (non-) Response Trump yells and screams. He takes full advantage of the free media which his natural acting ability draws to him like flies to fly-paper, while at the same time he is often lashing out at that same media when it doesn't treat him quite right (by asking him tough questions). But so far, from the Democrats -- silence.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 20, 2010
Jonathan Westminster: "The 15% Solution," Serialization, 3rd Installment: Chapter Two This chapter presents a brief discussion of how fascism came to the United States, what "The 15% Solution" actually was, how it lead to the conversion of the United States to the racially defined "New American Republics," and a listing of the future historical documents that led to and defined those developments.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Ask Governor Perry Shortly before Gov. Rick Perry entered the GOTP Presidential competition, he held a revival meeting in his home state of Texas. Many questions have been asked of the Gov. since he entered the race, and he hasn't done too well on many of his answers. Here's a set of questions relating to that oh-so-relevant event that no one seems to be asking. Is it because he might do better on these? Who is it who knows how he would do?
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Washington Doesn't Work? Oh Really? Heard enough about "Washington Doesn't Work?" Well it really does, that is if you are in certain economic and business sectors, like banking and finance, guns, oil, agribusiness, the drug war, and etc., it works just fine. This essay is on that subject.
Theodor Herzl on board a vessel as it reaches the shores of Palestine., From WikimediaPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 25, 2024
Anti-Semitism, Zionism, and Anti-Zionism This column is about the terms "Zionism," "anti-Zionism," and "anti-Semitism," how they developed historically, what the have meant at different historical times. It discusses how, in the United States at least, "anti-Semitism" and "anti-Zionism" have come to be equilibrated when in modern times at least, that equilibration is not valid. However, it has proven to be very useful politically to those forces who invented it.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 3, 2012
The GOP: Their Problems, and Their Solutions to Them So you thinb that the GOP is going to fade into the wood-work, or that the Astroturf, Koch-funded, Tea-Party, really just a convenient front for what is now the true Republican Party, is either going to be maginalized or fade away? Do you think that the demographic changes the US is undergoing are going to leave it behind? Think again. The GOP is going to come back stronger than ever; here's why --- nothing to do with policy.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 30, 2010
Dr. J.'s BF Commentary No. 150: The Rightward Imperative of the GOP The GOP has to attract voters and they have become past masters of mastering the use of the "gut" issues that their potential voters will respond to. But to keep them focused and to keep them coming, they have now resorted to their wholly owned subsidiary, the "Tea Parties" and ideas that were only a while ago considered just not "main-stream." Like Sharon Angell proposing to abolish Social Security.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 28, 2023
A Set of SJ Tweets for the End of 2023. Happy New Year? Let's Hope So This is a set of Tweets (and yes, I still call it Twitter, not "X") of mine from this month (Dec., 2023). The majority of them concern Trump. Gee. I wonder why.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 4, 2010
Dr. J.'s BF Commentary No. 154: Reflections on 9/11 and What is Patriotism But the 9/11 controversy has not gone away, that is, the controversy over what were the real causes of the disaster. It will not, at least until there is another investigation of the tragedy bringing in many more witnesses and testifiers from many different points of view and perspectives with an opportunity to raise so many questions that have yet to be answered and to offer for consideration scientific evidence about cause.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 18, 2024
Response to a Commentary by Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Wiesenthal Center on the Gaza Conflict Earlier this month, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and global social action director at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, published an open letter commenting on whom the responsibility for the present situation in Gaza rests. It was also highly critical of the response/commentary from various world leaders on the situation. I was invited by "The G-Man" to write a response to it. Here is a modestly emended version of it.
Donald Trump %26 Sean Hannity %2816677778952%29., From WikimediaPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 14, 2023
Trump, Hannity, Dictator-for-a-Day, and the Constitution of The United States The recent "Trump-Hannity-Dictator-for-a-day" TV "interview" has become widely noted and much commented upon. This column presents a commentary on it and what Trump really means by "Dictator-for-a-day." Of course provision for such a position is nowhere to be found in the Constitution. But even more importantly, Trump doesn't mean dictator-for-just-one-day. Extending it indefinitely, from that day, is what he does mean.
UN Palestine Partition, 1947. Jerusalem was designated as an international city. The outcome of the .Six Nations War. changed Israel's boundaries somewhat; the outcome of The Six Days War changed them quite a bit., From WikimediaPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 1, 2024
Why the Current Israeli Government Will Not Negotiate Very briefly, this column reprises several columns that I have written on the subject since 2006. During that time, most of the Israeli governments have refused to countenance any kind-of "Two-State Solution," and conditions for the Palestinian (on paper citizens of the State of Israel) have steadily gotten worse. This column reprises earlier ones and adds a bit of new material at the end. Only US pressure can change things.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 9, 2024
Trump Wins in 2020: A Fabrication (updated) This column is a re-run of one that I published in 2021, shortly after the inauguration of President Joe Biden. The history of the events that occurred from the time of the January 6 Insurrection assumed that it was successful. Since we are facing the real possibility of a second Trump term (achieved by him in one way or another), I thought that it might be useful to present this fictional history as I conceived it back then
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Ending the Filibuster: Fuhgeddaboudit For those who might not be familiar with the term, "fuhgeddaboudit" is one of those three-into-one Noo Yawk words that puts the final stamp on the subject with which it is concerned. Yes, folks, good folks like Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa can present very logical arguments for getting rid of the most anti-democratic rule crippling the functioning of any legislature in any of the "Western Democracies."
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 13, 2010
Jonathan Westminster: "The 15% Solution," Serialization, 2nd Installment: Chapter One This is the 2nd installment of the serialization of "The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022." The author's pseudonym is Jonathan Westminster. The book is purportedly published in the year 2048 on the 25th Anniv. of Constitutional Democra
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 8, 2024
It's the Establishment Clause, Stupid! Very briefly, this column is a re-run of one of the several that I published over the years Leading uo to "Dobbs" in which I proposed that to the (very correct) "woman's right to choose" and "bodily autonomy" arguments should have been added one based on the Establihment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution. In this column, following a "bring-us-up-to-date" text, I re-run one of my earlier columns on that subject
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Controlling the Agenda: Substance or Process? There is an old saw of politics: "He \who controls the agenda wins the election" (or the political battle, or what have you.") The GOP has done this for years, ever since Reagan, with process items: "government is the problem," "support the troops," "cut spending." Dems have pretty much gone along. And lost. Imagine the GOP horror when Obama suddenly shifted the subject to substance, that is programs, in his Inaugural. OY!
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 15, 2024
Israeli Nationalism: Creating the New International Anti-Semitism, and (briefly) Conflating Anti-Zionism with Anti-Semit The existence of Anti-Semitism, goes back to before the Common Era. It was first organized, under the "Jews Killed Christ" mythology, by St. Augustine in the 5th century. A contemporary anti-Semitic trope/myth is "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." But now a real basis for the organization of anti-Semitism has made its appearance: Israeli Nationalist One-State-Solution/Expulsionism. This column introduces this concept.
Mike Johnson. So new to the national political stage, and so mild-mannered looking, that I could not find a caricature of him anywhere., From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 9, 2023
Speaker Johnson: Meet the Constitution; Just Like the Two Presidents Johnson Did This column briefly examines what the new House Speaker, Mike Johnson, 2nd-in-line-to-the-Presidency, might do to the United Sates, legislatively and otherwise, given his belief that "God" speaks to him and guides him on policy, in the context of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution's 1st Amendment . It then goes one to briefly examine the impact that the two Presidents Johnson had on Constitutional law, in actuality.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 4, 2010
Dr. J.'s BF Commentary No. 153: It's Not About the Mosque: The GOP and Islamophobia The "Mosque Controversy" is hardly about "The Mosque." First of all, as well-known to anyone who has stopped to examine what it really is, the Muslim center is not one. It is in fact a multi-purpose community center open to all, of all religions, which happens to have a Muslim prayer room in it. No minarets, no muezzins calling the faithful to prayer, just, as an observer in The New Yorker said, a sort of YMMA.

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