Outside the Beltway

A stroll through the archives.

The coiner of Godwin’s law gives his blessing.

The Republican frontrunner continues to use Hitler’s language, praise dictators, and lionize traitors.

Another sad data point about current politics.

The NYT goes too far but not far enough.

The mainstream media isn’t and shouldn’t become a counterpart to the right-wing infotainment complex.

It turns out, he wasn’t all that truthful.

The trend shows no sign of abating.

What to call non-crazies who aren’t Democrats?

If you thought the first term was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

“Classical liberals” really need to rediscover self examination

A true hodgepodge to start the week.

A low bar has been cleared.

Democratic backsliding appears to be spreading to another European country.

President Biden had a meeting with some historians. The horrors.

The President delivered a rousing stump speech from Independence Hall.

Can American democracy survive its information bubbles?

Donald Trump and friends speak to the NRA.

A necessary but likely irrelevant gesture.

Two NeverTrump Republicans have had enough.

A depressing magazine piece argues it is.

Reflections on the events of 6 January two months later.

Historical precedents fall apart when we’re in a truly unprecedented time.

While the authoritarian threat recedes, the fascist threat remains.

American fascism is on parade, right now.

Shame on him for defending authoritarian actions.

Portland may be a preview of what’s to come.

Fascism is less about real politics, which is what makes it terrifying.

The crowd for DC’s fireworks celebration was small but weird.

The President is desperate and unwell and the press is making no bones about it.

Racial and xenophobic rhetoric and Covid-19.

Not that one. The other one.

The President of the United States is on the precipice of fascism.

There’s an inherent tension in our national ethos.

A strangely under-publicized story.

It’s been a rough two years under Trump, but America’s institutions are surviving.

Lyndon LaRouche, an eight-time Presidential candidate who ran a cult-like organization that spread bizarre conspiracy theories, has died at 96.

There has been a deluge of responses to Laura Ingraham’s recent diatribe about culture and immigration, but I want to look at her rhetoric from a different perspective. The perspective I want to look at is statements by Ingraham about cultures changing over time and the implications in regards to policies about these changes.

General (Retired) Michael Hayden has some harsh, and concerning, criticisms of the Trump administration.

Dan Drezner notes some challenges on this topic, and I add some of my own thoughts.

The President suffered a setback in his other job yesterday.

The latest, and most grave, example of the current tide of right-wing populism can be found in Italy.

Damon Linker writes, “Millions of people disagree with your political views. That doesn’t make them moral monsters.”

Donald Trump has won Politifact’s ‘Lie Of The Year’ because, well, he’s told so many things that are utterly and provably false.

Should Donald Trump be classified as a fascist?

Donald Trump’s plan to exclude Muslims from the United States is provoking condemnation, and confusion, around the world.

Given his rhetoric, it’s fairly clear that Donald Trump is drawing from a poisonous political well. So there’s no point in failing to acknowledge reality.

The Attorney General of Texas is responding to the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling by telling Clerk’s who issue marriage license that they are free to ignore the law.

Does Hillary Clinton remember that she was Secretary of State for four years?