I had a wild thought: I’d like to adopt for myself a new President! There are quite a few to choose from now: Justin Trudeau in Canada; Emmanuel Macron in France; certainly Angela Merkel in Germany; Gudni Johannesson of Iceland; or Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland. There are probably others we can think of. I am […]
Donald Trump
Doublespeak and American “Greatness”
Supporters of President Trump may not agree with this, but many Americans (and presumably others around the globe) would maintain that much of what Trump, other administration officials and many conservative lawmakers consistently use is doublespeak – “language used to deceive usually through concealment or misrepresentation of truth.” The term was originally associated with George […]
Truth and Trump per Time
Kudos to Nancy Gibbs, reporter Michael Scherer and Time magazine for their superb treatment of President Donald Trump’s disturbing relationship with the truth and what that means for our nation. Gibbs in her “From the Editor” piece was clear and forthright: “Trump says a great many things that are demonstrably false.” She reminds us that […]
“Dismantling,” Conservative Philosophy and the Common Good
Steve Bannon at the White House is promising (threatening) to “dismantle the administrative state,” primarily referring to our national system of taxation, trade agreements, and regulations. The budget outline that President Trump has submitted appears to support that mission in many ways and shows how the mission might actually go beyond these basics. I believe, in […]
The SPLC’s Latest Report on US Hate Groups
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has just released its annual report on hate and extremism in America. Entitled “Hate groups increase for second consecutive year as Trump electrifies radical right,” it is a “must-read” for all Americans who care about our country. As SPLC noted in the cover memo to supporters, “As Donald Trump’s […]
Stress, Social Justice and Our American Psyche
How many articles have you read over the years giving advice to help you deal with your daily stress? Five? Ten? Thirty? How much of this advice has actually worked over the long term? What if the daily stress that millions of Americans experience does not result so much from individual decisions and lifestyles but […]
State of Confusion
Die-hard supporters of Donald Trump and those in his inner circle might not concur, but it’s highly probable that many citizens who follow the news coming out of the Trump Administration, even only a couple of weeks in, might agree that things are confusing! Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on the Affordable Care Act […]
Advice to Trump from His Own Inauguration
Our new President, Donald Trump, heard a number of inspiring readings during his Inauguration, as well as at the National Prayer Service the next day. It is hard to read body language, but for most of the time that I watched both events, I got the distinct feeling that he was bored. I hope I’m […]
Preserve the CFPB!
I have mentioned the great work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the past, but it needs to be highlighted again. It is extremely important to note that this government agency works for you! Here are some of the successes that the CFPB (the brainchild of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren) has had on […]
Voting, Here and There
Now that we’ve voted… Or at least some of us have voted. Many Americans, once again, stayed home; the latest statistics reveal that only about 52% of eligible voters exercised their right. (That’s the lowest turnout in two decades – very sad…) Many Americans may have felt intimidated because of the many attempts at voter […]