Henry Kissinger, 1923-2023

The most important and controversial American diplomat of the postwar era is gone at 100.

Ending Hamas

What does “complete victory” look like?

When Autocrats Get Desperate

Autocrats facing defeat have all kinds of counterproductive, dangerous ideas.

China’s Worrisome Behavior

The competition is slowly ratcheting up.

A Fascistic and Authoritarian Response

Donald Trump and friends speak to the NRA.

Putin Invades Ukraine in Defiance of West

The much-anticipated escalation has happened. Now to see how the United States and its allies respond.

Chief Medical Advisor to the President Dr. Anthony Fauci participates in a briefing Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West) Chief Medical Advisor to the President Dr. Anthony Fauci participates in a briefing Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West)

The Fauci Who Stole Christmas

You’re a monster, Dr. Grinch, Your heart’s an empty hole.

Scapegoating Immigrants

Whataboutism about a visit to Whataburger (and other tales of obfuscation).

G. Gordon Liddy, 1930-2021

The Watergate conspirator, author, and talk show host was 90.

The Mundanity of Authoritarianism

Some recommended reading.

A Bizarre Convention

The Republicans are putting on quite a show.

Democrats Kick Off Virtual Convention

The official campaign to oust Donald Trump is off to a good start.

Fascism Is A Nationalist Aesthetic Movement

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

Trump and the F-word

Not that one. The other one.

Steve King Is Low On Money And Out Of Friends

Iowa Congressman Steve King finds himself low on campaign cash and with virtually no support from his party.

Steve King: Rape And Incest Necessary For Humanity To Exist

Congressman Steve King has some rather unique views about human history.

Ahead Of Potential Crisis With Iran, Trump’s Lack Of Credibility Comes Home To Roost

As we head toward a potential crisis in the Persian Gulf, the consequences of the President’s lies are coming home to roost.

D-Day At 75

Seventy-five years ago today, American soldiers and our allies undertook an invasion that helped change the world.

Steve King Facing Serious Republican Challenge In Iowa

Steve King, who has recently come under attack for a long history of racist remarks, is facing a strong challenge for the GOP nomination in 2020.

Robert Caro on Writing

The esteemed biographer on his process.

Racist Republican Congressman Steve King Is Unrepentant And Running For Re-Election

Steve King isn’t backing down from his history of white supremacy and racism. And he’s also running for re-election.

Lyndon LaRouche, Conspiracy Kook And Perennial Presidential Candidate, Dies At 96

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

Steve King Stripped Of Committee Assignments Over Racist Comments

The House GOP has moved to rebuke Iowa Congressman for his racist remarks. What took them so long?

Racist Congressman Steve King Wonders What’s So Bad About Being A Racist

Iowa’s Steve King has long expressed anti-immigrant and racist views, now he’s asking why that’s a bad thing.

Trump, Nationalism, And The Lessons Of World War One

One hundred years after the end of World War One, the forces that led to it are waking up from a long slumber.

The Link Between Anti-Semitic Violence And Far-Right Conspiracy Theories

Anti-Semitic violence has increased markedly over the past two years. So has the spread of far-right “anti-Globalist” conspiracy theories. This is not a coincidence.

Defining Totalitarianism

A quick hit and run post to provide a proper definition.

Poland’s Right-Wing Government Purges Government Critics From Judiciary

The right-wing government in Warsaw has purged more than one-third of the members of the Polish Supreme Court in a crackdown on political opponents.

Polish Parliament Amends Controversial Holocaust Law

The Polish Government has amended a controversial law that sought to punish people for discussing the role that some Poles played in the Holocaust.

Donald Trump And The Mainstreaming Of Racism

Donald Trump may or may not be racist himself, but he has most certainly exploited and helped widen racial divisions ever since bursting on the political scene in 2015.

Polish Senator Says Holocaust Law Also Applies To Holocaust Survivors

Poland’s new Holocaust legislation just keeps sounding worse and worse.

Of Course Donald Trump Wants A Military Parade

Of course Donald Trump wants a military parade, it would be consistent with his delusions of grandeur.

Polish President Signs Controversial Holocaust Bill Into Law

Poland’s President has signed a controversial bill that purports to criminalize any effort to tie Poland to the Holocaust.

Polish Government Sending History Of Polish Collaboration With Nazis Down The Memory Hole

The Polish Government appears ready to approve a law that seeks to whitewash the truth about the role that many Poles played in the Holocaust.

Ben Carson: Slaves Were Immigrants

Ben Carson is back and he’s saying some pretty dumb things again.

Politicization of Dead Spies

The 117 CIA officers who have died in our service should not be used to score cheap political points.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump Administration Spends First Day Lying About Crowd Size And Attacking Reporters

The first full day of Donald Trump’s Presidency consisted largely of obsessions with irrelevant facts and outright lies.

Ben Carson Won’t Attend Next GOP Debate, Admits He Has No Viable Path Forward

Ben Carson announced today that he is skipping the next GOP debate and admitted that he does not see a viable path forward for his campaign. However, he didn’t formally withdraw from the race for the Republican nomination.

What, Exactly, Does Uttering The Words “Radical Islamic Terrorism” Accomplish?

Republicans insist that uttering the words “Radical Islamic Terrorism” is somehow important in the fight against ISIS and other terror networks, but it is entirely unclear what doing so would accomplish.

Ben Carson’s Odd Relationship With Truth

As Ben Carson rises in the polls, it’s worth noting his many examples of having what can only be called a very odd relationship with truth and the basic facts of history.

Ben Carson Wants To Turn The Department Of Education Into Thought Police

Instead of eliminating the Department of Education, Ben Carson wants to give it a new, bizarre, and dangerous mission.

Despite Obvious Shortcomings, Ben Carson Rises In The Polls

Ben Carson has no government experience, he has a history of saying things that don’t seem grounded in reality, and he lacks the resources for a credible campaign. And yet, he’s closing in on Donald Trump in the polls.

Ukraine Heads Down The Authoritarian Road With New Restrictions On Speech

Disturbing developments on the part of the Ukrainian government.

Ben Carson Enters The Race For President

Ben Carson is running for President.

Ben Carson To Launch Quixotic, Doomed Campaign For President On May 4th

Ben Carson will be entering the race for President next month, but don’t pretend for a minute that he’s a serious candidate.

Reactions To Iran Nuclear Deal About What You’d Expect

The Iranian nuclear accords are barely 24 hours old and some people have already made up their mind about them.