Category: Politics and Government

Two Parties, Three+ Parties, Uniparty, No Party?

1 Comment on Two Parties, Three+ Parties, Uniparty, No Party?

Parties – or Their Absence – Are More Important Than We May Think

Many of Our Founders Disliked Parties

No less than George Washington warned against forming political parties, fearing a long list of evils they would bring along into national life. In more recent times, a lot of people feel the same. Common complaints are that the parties “don’t represent me,” or that they are corrupt and only interested in power.

On a somewhat different tangent, Marjorie Taylor Greene has complained about a “Uniparty.” She is saying that everyone who disagrees with her (and that is just about everyone) constitute one party,

Join the discussion at: Two Parties, Three+ Parties, Uniparty, No Party?

April 30, 2024

1 Comment on April 30, 2024

A Lot of Different Topics This Week, All with Key Legal Elements (Except the Last One)

Tik Tok’s Pending Death?


Well, the legislation passed, and the president signed it, so the countdown begins. This one has some really interesting aspects about it. Let’s see how it unrolls.

First, as noted before in this space, I am not much on the government banning communication in about any form, but I think the case can be made for this one. The amount of personal information Tik Tok tracks on users is substantial and it certainly would not be hard to use it as an entry point to more of your computer data.

Join the discussion at: April 30, 2024

Some Important Cornerstones May Have Been Laid

1 Comment on Some Important Cornerstones May Have Been Laid

A Week of Important News with Long Term Implications

The Conundrum of Speaker Johnson

We have spoken in this space before that Johnson is a man with seriously disturbing personal and religious views and a part of the stolen election mafia, yet he did some important things correctly early in his term as Speaker. Now, he continues to do so.

The passage of the crucial foreign aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, the Palestinians, and Taiwan all are essential. Johnson delayed for two months, but in the end, he did the right thing, for the right reasons,

Join the discussion at: Some Important Cornerstones May Have Been Laid

Chickens Coming Home to Roost

5 Comments on Chickens Coming Home to Roost

It Appears That a Lot of Arrogance is About to Pay the Price

Dues Will Be Paid

One of the more irritating elements of modern politics is the number of politicians and others with power seem to think they can do whatever they wish, with no attention paid to public opinion, social norms, or the law. A nice pattern of that sort of thing is popping up all over the country. Glad to see it.

Voters Speak Out

Florida has a 6 week abortion ban coming into effect next month. One generally does not even know they are pregnant at this point.

Join the discussion at: Chickens Coming Home to Roost

Safety Looms Large, Presidents Gather, and Disinformation Abounds

Leave a Comment on Safety Looms Large, Presidents Gather, and Disinformation Abounds

This Week We See an Interesting Mix of Subjects in the Physical and Political Worlds

Safety First!

 Two interesting and compelling reminders about safety in transportation in recent days.

The first reminder is the sorry story about safety at Boeing. It is important to remember that commercial aviation remains one of the safest possible ways to travel, but the Boeing sage reminds us of a couple of points not to be overlooked.

First, as safe as flying can be, when you think about it, it can be dangerous when systems fail. We are packing a large group of people into a thin aluminum tube,

Join the discussion at: Safety Looms Large, Presidents Gather, and Disinformation Abounds

Today, A Smorgasbord

Leave a Comment on Today, A Smorgasbord

Not a Very Irish Way to Say We have a Mix of Topics Today

First of All – EXCUUUSE ME!

If you are inclined to make a comment on one of these blogs, which I very much encourage, you will have noted in the last couple of weeks or so that there is a comment heading, but no way to enter a comment. Two readers pointed this out to me a couple of days ago. I was unaware, just wondering why no one commented of late.

We are trying to trouble shoot this anomaly.

Join the discussion at: Today, A Smorgasbord

Those Were Quite a Few Days

2 Comments on Those Were Quite a Few Days

American Politics Has Been on Quite the Ride Lately. Tired yet?

McConnell

Mitch McConnell finally announced his retirement as Minority Leader.  At least he was physically able to make that speech. There has been a lot of talk about whoever replaces him will be even more of a MAGA wingnut. Likely true, but that will not make much difference anyway. McConnell has made it crystal clear that all he ever cared about was raw political power; he was always more than ready to sell his soul to the MAGA crowd to hang on to power.

The bad history is long indeed,

Join the discussion at: Those Were Quite a Few Days

Voters, Judges, and Nikki Haley

1 Comment on Voters, Judges, and Nikki Haley

Observations on American Life

Voters

The folks responsible for voting in my area are reportedly having some trouble recruiting volunteers to work the polling places this year. People are afraid of the risk of conflict and even of physical danger. That is sad, to say the least. It’s also unacceptable, so I have up my usual spot out front of polling places in election season, passing out literature, to be a poll worker inside. The preparation process was illuminating.

First, there are still quite a few willing to show up for the 14 hour day required.

Join the discussion at: Voters, Judges, and Nikki Haley

A Connected Set of Observations on Guns, Addiction, and Alexei Navalny  

Leave a Comment on A Connected Set of Observations on Guns, Addiction, and Alexei Navalny  

Three Very Different Yet Connected Realities

Guns

One of the latest mass shooting to hit America just occurred, in Kansas City, in an area where people gathered to celebrate their Super Bowl win. People were shot because they were in a place where someone else came to hurt people.

Shortly thereafter, police and first responders in a small town in Minnesota answered a call for help in the wee hours of the morning; a family was in danger. Shortly thereafter, two policemen and a fire rescue member were shot dead.

And so it goes,

Join the discussion at: A Connected Set of Observations on Guns, Addiction, and Alexei Navalny  

One Issue Illuminates It All

Leave a Comment on One Issue Illuminates It All

Some Issues Bring a Laser Focus On Our Politics. Here is a Big One

Déjà Vu, All Over Again

 Several years ago, I read a fascinating, if discouraging, series of articles in The Atlantic. The writer did a thorough job, literally going all around the world, to determine the cost and quality of medical care for a common medical procedure (if I remember correctly, it was a knee replacement).

In the end, he determined that were you to deliberately design the most dysfunctional system imaginable (too expensive, poor overall national health,

Join the discussion at: One Issue Illuminates It All