Category Archives: Politics
Harris Trump Debate 2024
Maybe someday someone will write a book about last night’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. I’m not waiting. Here’s my review of the debate. Continue reading
Autocracy, Inc.
Anne Applebaum says our image of autocratic dictators as cartoon villains who exercise total control over their people is outdated. In Autocracy, Inc. she reveals how autocracies are run by sophisticated military, financial, and information networks that support each other without having any common ideology except holding on to power. Continue reading
Trump v. United States: SCOTUS Rewards Trump, Betrays America
The US Supreme Court’s opinion in Trump v. United States, the Trump immunity case, is a betrayal of bedrock principles on which this country was founded. It elevates the President above the law, giving him broad immunity from criminal prosecution. It has terrifying implications for the future of American democracy. Continue reading
The Strongman Fantasy
Lots of people like the idea of “strong” leaders, leaders who are decisive, who aren’t afraid to “blow things up” including even democracy itself. But as historian Timothy Snyder writes in a recent article, the idea of the strongman leader is a dangerous fantasy. Continue reading
Democracy in a Hotter Time
Democracy in a Hotter Time is a collection of essays about the relationship between climate change and democracy. The contributors do a good job diagnosing democracy’s problems dealing with the “long emergency” of climate change, but few propose practical solutions. I was disappointed by this book. Continue reading
Biden v. Nebraska: Black-Robed Oligarchs
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden Administration announced a plan to cancel up to $10,000 of student loan debt for about 43 million borrowers. Six States sued the federal government claiming that the loan cancellation plan was not … Continue reading
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization: A Giant Leap Backwards
Something is missing from the US Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in which the Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion first recognized nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade. Women. Reading … Continue reading
The Road to Unfreedom
I read widely and I follow news and politics closely, but in recent years I’ve often felt utterly baffled by world events. It’s like I’m trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box. I manage … Continue reading
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible
On the surface, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia is a memoir of the years 2001 to 2010 when the author, Peter Pomerantsev, lived and worked in Russia. In reality, the book … Continue reading
On Tyranny
I’ve lived my whole life in democratic countries. I’ve never experienced what it’s like to live under a dictatorship, thankfully. But these days, I’m worried. Democracy here in the US and around the world seems more fragile that it used … Continue reading
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