The Canadians did the right thing and stood up for themselves and sent a strong message that they would not succumb to bullyism and a wannabe dictator down south. In doing so, CANADA just might be the “greatest country in the world.” They apparently put their domestic differences aside and came together against what they…
Canada’s Challenge
Canadians vote today to choose parliamentary representatives and the next prime minister. Polls and word on the street seem to favor the Liberals to win again largely as a backlash at Trump and his policies toward Canada. As they say up that way, they “got their elbows up” and are ready for a fight. We’ll…
A View from Canada
Given the strained relations with Canada, I’m forwarding this opinion piece from The Globe and Mail in Ontario. I received it yesterday from George Shafer, a correspondent who lives in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Shafer is a frequent contributor to these pages. What the Trump assault on American democracy has taught us Marcus Gee Toronto…
Ukraine and American Shame
The ongoing Russo-Ukraine war is not going to come out okay for the West. Rumors and facts on the ground all point to capitulation to Russian aggression. It appears inevitable given the equivocation and inability of the president to balance reality with a righteous regard for the belligerents. I keep asking myself what Theodore Roosevelt,…
Macho MAGA
Many of us have frequently judged our friends by suggesting they are “foxhole buddies.” What we mean, of course, is that they can be trusted to stand by us under the worst circumstances. We have confidence that they will not bolt when things get tough; they can be counted on to hang tough and watch…
Delusions
Friends and acquaintances ask me all the time what’s wrong, can’t the Trump supporters see what is really going on; don’t they see that Trump is trying to undermine our constitutional government and is committing horrible atrocities? Why, they ask, can’t those who voted for Trump say they made a mistake? Two answers stand out….
The Greatest Country in the World
I always cringe when I hear our president or political leaders say that the United States is the greatest country in the world. It makes me want to look around sheepishly to see if anyone is listening. I wonder what non-Americans think when they hear such bravado. Moreover, it is just simply impolite and rude…
Annapolis 451
Remember Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the dystopian novel about book burning in a future America where people memorized entire books to save them for posterity. Published in 1953, the book was supposedly inspired by the Second Red Scare and McCarthy era as well as the book burnings by the Nazis. Today, during the “Trump Scare”…
Correction
Footnotes left off yesterday’s posting, "The Genie and the Joker." Sorry for the confusion. *The Joker, an infamous comic book character introduced in 1940s, was the arch villain in the BatMan stories. He was a sadistic psychopath who revelled in spreading chaos while seeking revenge against the establishment, most frequently depicted by BatMan and Gotham…