1Q22

An anti-fascist looks at Jan 6 - Jan 5

Within hours after Trump supporters had stormed the Capitol last January 6, right-wing corporate and social media were ablaze with a conspiracy theory.  It was "Antifa"* that was responsible for the attack, not Donald Trump and his thugs and fanatics.  As with the Big Lie of voter fraud in the election, there was not a shred of evidence linking anyone on the left with the Insurrection.  Make no mistake: the Right is the protector of Capitalism, not Democracy.  The events of last January 6 and its year-long aftermath dispelled any doubts about this...what fascism looks like, how fascism happens, why Americans should be concerned...a brief history of anti-fascist movements, how to be an  everyday antifa, what we can do as right-wing extremism takes over the Republican Party.

The homicide surge and the perfect storm that brought us here - Jan 29

The homicide surge continues.  Looking for causes: the pandemic, the failure to address the root causes of criminal behavior, the prevalence of guns due to the US' lax gun laws.  In spite of all the evidence, drenched in guns and blood, stymied by a powerful gun lobby, cowardly politicians, and incredibly wrong Supreme Court decisions, America refuses to address its gun violence pandemic.

Dear Martin and the battle over diversity, critical thinking and the African-American experience - February 1

A critically-acclaimed coming-of- age novel about an African-American teenager is being pulled from high school reading lists across the country as self-styled Parents' Rights advocates protest at local schoolboards.  The movement has less to do with parents' rights and more to do with preventing different perspectives from being taught in the schools.  The "dog whistle" in this assault has been "Critical Race Theory", which is not even taught at the K-12 level.  As a younger, more "woke", generation takes its place among the electorate,  conservative activists are trying to ensure that the only message these voters-to-be hear denies the reality of racism and the experience of marginalized communities...the importance of critical thinking, how to improve critical thinking skills...

Biden's appallingly unimaginative and failing foreign policy - February 7

Occasionally, I remind myself that Joe Biden did, after all, vote for the Iraq War, our greatest foreign policy disaster since Vietnam.  While the President has reversed some of Trump's abhorrent foreign policies, much still remains in place.  Captive to the historically prevalent us v. them paradigm for American foreign policy, Biden has even added some of his own making...Jayapal-Lee "Foreign Policy for the 21st Century"Resolution...Iran Nuclear Deal, Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and the Afghanistan sanctions

Is our floundering and flawed democracy going down? - February 19

For the sixth straight year, the Economist Group's Democracy Index rated the United States as a "flawed democracy."  For 2021, the United States placed 26th on the list. Considering the presidentially-fueled January 6 Insurrection and the Big-Lie disenfranchisement effort, I am surprised that our nation ranks even as high as it does. The roles of vote suppression and nullification, lies, politically stifling teachers, and militarism in bringing us to this point...AOC's warning, historian William Astore's "60 Years of War"

Thinking about the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine - Feb 27

Russia has invaded Ukraine in the latest episode of "The Folly and Tragedy of War."   The invasion is indefensible and could have been prevented with diplomacy.  People are now dying because of that collective failure to find a solution.  Mainstream media coverage of the Russian troop buildup and the invasion has been devoid of context...the background of Russia's relationship with Ukraine, the expansion of NATO since the end of the Cold War, US support for the 2014 Maidan Coup and some thoughts on what will and what will not end the conflict

Ending Putin's War - Mar 9

As a third round of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine broke down over the weekend, antiwar demonstrations broke out across the world in a Day of Action organized by peace groups, and Ukraine called for direct talks between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's Vladimir Putin...what each side is asking in the negotiations, the crackdown on Russian antiwar protesters, what a Ukraine-Russia peace might look like

World News: Africa - Mar 11

The Ethiopian conflict, possible South Africa mediation in Russia-Ukraine, US arms human rights abusers (again), and how to stop future coups

The redistricting battles and the midterm curse - Mar 14

Democrats are hoping to avoid a redistricting disaster such as followed the 2010 census by mounting an aggressive campaign to counter Republican gerrymandering.  But, if history repeats, the 2022 mid-term elections will see them losing their slim majorities...the midterm curse, gerrymandering, and a radical election theory gaining ground at the Supreme Court 

Refugees - March 24 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought the world's number of forcibly displaced persons to over 90 million. If these persons formed their own country, it would be the 17th largest in the world, slightly bigger than Iran or Germany.  In just one month, more Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes than in any other country except for Syria and Iraq...a look at the other largest displaced populations, the causes, and what we can do about it...