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Sinwar's Helpers: Foolish Pols and Useful Fools Give Hamas Reason to Smile
Last week, the German newspaper Bild broke a story that was too unsurprising to be much of one. According to Bild, a document seized from a computer used by Hamas strongman Yahya Sinwar summarized Sinwar's strategy for pressuring Israel into a ceasefire deal that would enable Hamas to promptly prepare for the next iteration of Oct. 7.
The ...Read more
Gas Prices Could Actually Help Harris
Americans focused on inflation seem especially tuned into the price of gasoline. While inflation has been fading away, many prices remain higher than they were two years ago.
But not for gasoline. That's getting cheaper.
The average price at the pump is now about $3.26, which is down $1.73 from the high in June 2022. MAGA will note that it ...Read more
What Kamala Harris Must Do To End Abuse in the Criminal Legal System
If elected president, Vice President Kamala Harris would bring extensive experience to the role from her work in the criminal legal system as district attorney, attorney general, senator and vice president. In these roles, her commitment to reforming the criminal legal system has been mixed. In some areas she has taken positions that have ...Read more
Trump’s Woman Problem
If Kamala Harris wins in November, American women will deserve a lot of the credit. Polls suggest women will vote in record margins for Kamala Harris.
The ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sept. 1 found Harris leading Trump by a whopping 54% to 41% among women.
Donald Trump has a yuge woman problem. Below, I first examine why; then discuss how ...Read more
No Party Has a Monopoly on Patriotism
If you don’t tell a lie, my father used to say, you won’t have to worry about which version of your story you told last.
Right, I agreed, but, with an attitude like that, ol’ Dad was well advised to avoid going into politics.
That advice came to mind amid the unfolding saga of an unfortunate altercation at Arlington National Cemetery on ...Read more
We Need a Universal High Income
"Get a job!" That's the cliched response to panhandlers and anyone else who complains of being broke. But what if you can't?
That dilemma is the crux of an evolving silent crisis that threatens to undermine the foundation of the American economic model.
Two-thirds of gross domestic product, most of the economy, is fueled by personal consumer...Read more
'Russia, Russia, Russia' Is Not a Hoax
Years before former President Donald Trump seized upon the Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen, he insistently promoted another supersized falsehood -- namely that charges of Russian interference in the 2016 election were "a hoax." His minions in the media, from Fox News down to the lowliest web trolls, have incessantly...Read more
No Party Has a Monopoly on Patriotism
If you don’t tell a lie, my father used to say, you won’t have to worry about which version of your story you told last.
Right, I agreed, but, with an attitude like that, ol’ Dad was well advised to avoid going into politics.
That advice came to mind amid the unfolding saga of an unfortunate altercation at Arlington National Cemetery on ...Read more
Voters Need To Redirect Their Attention to What Really Matters This Election
The cheap shots are everywhere now that we're in the thick of election season, and it matters. It's everywhere. It's on social media and even on television "news" and commentary shows. People we look to for thoughtful election analysis are wasting valuable time making fun of candidates over things that are not relevant. Whether it's making fun ...Read more
The Noble Dead
There's been a mini-flap about former President Donald Trump's recently reprehensible conduct at Arlington National Cemetery.
First of all, what the hell did you expect?
Secondly, when is Trump gonna stop with that cheesy "thumbs up" hand sign? No one does that anymore. It makes him look old and out of touch. I grew up with the thumbs up, ...Read more
Best Thing for Republican Party: For Trump to Lose Big
It seems like it’s been dragging on for three years – which it has! – but now, with Labor Day behind us, the 2024 presidential campaign is officially underway. And it’s a totally different campaign than any of us expected, just two months ago.
So much has changed in so short a time. It was only on June 27 that Joe Biden totally blew his...Read more
Harris Must Defeat Trump to Save the Democracy. That's Her Job.
Presidential elections of yore were not like this one. Would the media kindly get that into their collective skull? Many journalists seem to think that the reluctance of Kamala Harris to sit down for searing in-depth interviews on "the issues" is a major issue.
The one she did with CNN rested on the old gotcha questions. Harris said that she'...Read more
How Kamala Can Win the Debate
The stakes could not be higher. Tens of millions of people will be watching, hopefully including those who (like me with baseball) tune in just in time for the World Series. Kamala Harris has to do two things: fill in the blanks in her own platform; and let Trump be Trump.
It's hard not to like what you see with Kamala Harris. Since she ...Read more
Arlington: No Place for Traitors to Feel at Home
History repeats itself: first as tragedy, second as farce. That's what the German philosopher said.
Lawless former President Donald Trump is breaking this rule in two, as he does for every other. For him, it's history as farce first, tragedy second. His illegal campaign stunt at Arlington National Cemetery is high tragedy playing out on the ...Read more
Can Mass Media Promote Democracy Instead of Divisiveness? Here's a Guy Who Did
Every once in a great while, a major media celebrity comes along who puts his or her talent and -- well, celebrity -- to work for the common good.
Many generous artistic souls support good causes -- and bless them for that! But there are a few who put the public interest at the center of their professional calling, and it's been my joy to ...Read more
Why Giant Mergers Harm Workers
In front of the Federal Trade Commission building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., where I used to work, stands a giant sculpture of a runaway horse being reined in. It’s called “Man Controlling Trade.” The allegorical sculpture by Michael Lantz is one of a pair installed in 1942, part of a New Deal-era program administered by ...Read more
Dirty Little Secrets: Lips Sealed on Academia's Qatar Connection
Last week ended with a split screen featuring savagery on one side and shame on the other. We woke Sunday with news that hours earlier Hamas had taken six hostages they were holding in the tunnels beneath Rafah, each emaciated after 11 months in captivity, and shot them in the head multiple times, all the while BS-ing a gullible world that they ...Read more
How a Harris Administration Could Chart a New Course for Immigration Reform
Despite immigrants' contributions to our communities and economy, our current immigration system still fails to provide a way for millions of immigrants to apply for legal status and citizenship.
If elected to the presidency, current Vice President Kamala Harris has an opportunity to chart a new course. At the ACLU, we urge the Harris-Walz ...Read more
Manhood is On the Ballot, as if Politics Were Not Crazy Enough
In case you somehow haven’t noticed, manhood is on the ballot.
Even before President Joe Biden stepped aside to let Vice President Kamala Harris step up to be the Democrats’ presidential nominee, insiders from both parties were calling this the “boys vs. girls election.”
And even before the Republican National Convention opened in ...Read more
Back to School
"Welcome to MIT!" the flyers being handed out to incoming students announce, next to a drawing of Tim the Beaver, MIT's mascot. The flyers go on to comment on the conflict in the Middle East and the State of Israel in particular, and they list more than 20 additional resources.
One of the "resources" they list is the Mapping Project, a ...Read more