Posts Tagged ‘Donald Trump’
LIFE IN THE BUBBLE
After Donald Trump won the presidency, many San Franciscans declared, “We should have seen this coming. But we live in a bubble. We didn’t know what people out there were thinking.” They were right. And they were wrong. A bubble around San Francisco? Not all San Franciscans live in mansions and luxury condos, dine at…
Read MoreFAKE NEWS
One of my favorite comic strips is “The Knight Life” by Keith Knight. Tuesday’s included a schoolteacher’s statement: “Facts are overrated!! All you need is a loud mouth & some Macedonian teenagers!!” Websites with fake news created by kids in Europe abound—fake news many Americans give credence. On December 9th, Yahoo News (real) reported that…
Read MoreTHE 28TH AMENDMENT
The 2016 presidential race was the most unsavory in my memory, which goes back to Eisenhower-Stevenson in 1952. The future remains uncertain. But one thing we can do now is amend the Constitution. And I’m not talking about the Electoral College. I propose the 28th Amendment: No person may be elected or succeed to the…
Read MoreALEPPO
Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson infamously responded to a question about the tragic war in Syria with “What is Aleppo?” I’ll answer. You won’t be comforted. Aleppo—not the capital Damascus—was Syria’s largest city and business hub with 2.1 million inhabitants (2004 census). Since the Syrian civil war started in 2011, nearly 500,000 have been killed…
Read MoreAMERICA FOR WHO?
A young man I know in another state has a very different political outlook from mine. Like many people, he re-posts memes on Facebook to support his positions. He’s a good person, but the sources he cites often exhibit poor taste and lack credibility. I checked out one source—a Twitter account. I was disturbed. Moreover,…
Read MoreVIN SCULLY AND CIVILITY
Last Sunday, Hall of Fame sportscaster Vin Scully retired. His 67 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers offered a model of civility too often missing in our nation. What made him, in addition to his upbeat and warm persona, a prototype for American political and societal behavior? Certainly, you’ve got to be good to broadcast…
Read MoreBIRTHER 102
I’m thinking about running for President in 2020, but two factors give me pause. One is my age. I’ll be 76 then. Of course, a President Trump would be 74 prior to re-election, or a President Clinton 72. It’s the second factor that worries me. I may have to prove I’m an American-born citizen. Obviously,…
Read MoreMANY PEOPLE SAY…
Where do you get news? I find print, broadcast and most online sources to be inaccurate and biased. Cover-ups abound. So I turn to common wisdom. That said, let me share some important stories you might not have seen. Many people say President Obama is a Hindu. But wait! Isn’t he a Muslim? And wasn’t…
Read MoreBERNIE’S HOME RUN
A week ago, I watched Donald Trump’s acceptance speech from Cleveland. I would have watched more of the Republican convention, but the speakers were uninspiring. Not so the Democrats. In baseball terms, they all delivered big hits as did Independent former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But to me, Bernie Sanders hit a critical home…
Read MoreDEFINING FAMILY
Two recent pieces in The New York Times speak to the new populism that threatens the United States. I find part of the solution within my family and my synagogue. David Brooks’ June 28 column “Revolt of the Masses” quoted David Vance, author of the book Hillbilly Elegy. Vance writes about the Kentucky and Ohio…
Read MoreGAME OF THRONES, TEL AVIV AND ORLANDO
Recently on HBO’s Game of Thrones, Jaime Lannister (the Kingslayer) sought to capture Riverrun, a castle commanded by Brynden Tully (the Blackfish). Sir Jaime headed a large force, but Riverrun boasted a deep moat and high walls making a head-on attack foolhardy. What to do? Sir Jaime laid siege, a tactic as old as warfare.…
Read MoreSAVING SPEAKER RYAN
Tuesday night, following California’s primaries, Donald Trump explained his “America First” policies. In any global interaction—economic, military, political—he will put America’s interests first. But I suspect that a President Trump would make one exception. Germany (West Germany until unification) has been a friend of the United States since the end of World War Two. But…
Read MoreLABELMANIA
In 1975, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union launched a TV campaign supporting American-made clothing. Workers—men alongside women—sang a charming ditty, “Look for the Union Label.” Given that so many jobs first fled union shops then were lost to offshoring, that label inside a garment made sense. Ultimately, the campaign failed. Americans preferred cheaper foreign-made…
Read MoreDECODING BRUSSELS
In the early days of the American revolution, Thomas Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” The Islamist attacks in Brussels last Tuesday reminded us that these are always the times that try men’s (and women’s) souls. Despite security efforts—additional arrests have been made since Tuesday—some terrorists slip through the net. U.S.…
Read MoreACCEPTING MIND CONTROL
My January 15 post, “Loyalty and Betrayal,” explored the unwillingness of many people to disagree with a group to which they belonged—even when they knew something was wrong. Two more examples highlight the danger inherent in giving up independent thinking and submitting to mind control. Fundamentalist religious sects long have abounded. Judaism has its share.…
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