FINGERS CROSSED

By David Perlstein | January 22, 2021

Joe Biden ascended to the Oval Office after a tumultuous post-election period. His inaugural address replaced American carnage with American hope, and Washington’s spectacular fireworks celebrated not the individual but our continuing democracy. What lies ahead? President Biden’s call to “come together to carry all of us forward” was heard across the nation. Not all…

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SAVING SPEAKER RYAN

By David Perlstein | June 10, 2016

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…

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ACCEPTING MIND CONTROL

By David Perlstein | March 11, 2016

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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