I’m a veteran of many protests and marches including a building occupation and summer-long encampment while a student at Kent State University. What we did then and what’s going on now are very different in important ways. We weren’t perfect by any means, but we were non-violent. We didn’t destroy property and we didn’t foment hate against any group. Very importantly, we knew history and … Continue reading On the Campus Protests Supporting Hamas
Most of you reading this know of Nikki Haley’s answer at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire where she failed to mention slavery as a cause of the Civil War, and then seemed perplexed when pressed on the point. If you missed it: She’s taken a lot of heat, with good cause. I suggested on Facebook that she needs to take one of those … Continue reading The Part Nikki Haley Got Right in Her Civil War Gaffe
For various reasons, some covered elsewhere in this blog, I no longer consider myself a “Marxist.” I do, however, still subscribe to many of its tenets and believe that Marxism for the most part provides the fullest and most accurate explanation of human society and relationships. Perhaps nowhere is this more urgent at the moment than in explaining the current conflict in Israel and Gaza. … Continue reading Israel, its Founding and Nature, & the Fight Against Antisemitism
A few weeks ago I republished articles from the Militant newspaper concerning the October 7th attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel — and by extension against Jewish people everywhere in the world. I want to also republish this latest article in particular because it calls attention back to Ukraine. The war in Ukraine mustn’t be overshadowed by events in the Middle East. Both are of vital importance. As I … Continue reading Israel and Ukraine Are Both Vital Concerns
Donald Trump pledged to “drain the swamp” when he took office in 2017. Steve Bannon went further, calling for “deconstruction of the administrative state” itself with aims to “destroy all of today’s establishment.” Trump, Bannon and their followers believe that American society is controlled by the “Deep State,” an evil conspiratorial cabal. A vast army of conspirators embedded throughout the federal bureaucracy and judiciary is … Continue reading The Mythical Land of Deep State
Preface Followers of this blog probably know that I effectively broke with the U.S. Socialist Workers Party (SWP) after almost 50 years supporting it and working with it. I took this action over disagreement on a few specific issues. These disagreements are strong and heartfelt, but narrow. I still broadly agree with the SWP on many others. With respect to international politics, I consider the … Continue reading Hamas. Israel. It’s Complicated.
Ron DeSantis’ infamous “Don’t Say Gay” law was initially aimed at young elementary school children whose tender ears were deemed too sensitive to be told their classmate Johnnie has two mommies or two daddies. The law covered K-3. It wasn’t long before DeSantis decided that even 12th graders are too young. From there DeSantis aimed his sights on state universities, banning diversity programs on the … Continue reading The Not-So-Slow Creep of Bigotry
An article in yesterday’s New York Times got me thinking. It described the latest round of something we see constantly these days: speakers (usually conservative) being shouted down or denied a platform altogether by (usually “progressive”) students or activists. The right does this too, though in their case it’s often more institutionalized than ad hoc. Examples include the expulsion this week of two Tennessee state representatives or … Continue reading Society Needs a Collective ‘Time Out’
The news has been consumed since 2020 with ‘The Big Lie’ where Trump & Company have been insisting the presidential election was stolen. Some 60 lawsuits have failed to present credible evidence, the Cyber Ninjas in Arizona actually found additional votes for Biden, and Sidney Powell’s source proving fraud is an “internally decapitated” woman who time travels in a semi-conscious state and talks to the … Continue reading The Other Big Lie
