Breaking News

Uncategorized

MAGA and King’s Dream

I have written often that there is a common denominator in our deeply divided nation. That is the general sense that something is wrong. The points of departure among our large and diverse population are the perceptions about what the problems are and what must be done. In this spirit I ask, as many have over recent days, what message we might take from the coincidence of the inauguration day of Donald J. Trump as America’s 47th president with the national holiday honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is interesting to note that in 1964, shortly after King’s ...

Trump succeeds, opponents fail

“It is not enough in life that one succeed,” the droll economist John Kenneth Galbraith is supposed to have said. “Others must fail.” We’re at a moment, in this week before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, when the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president is succeeding at just about every enterprise he undertakes, while his political and ideological opponents are failing in spectacularly visible fashion. This time, Trump won the popular vote with a percentage that, rounded off, is identical to those of former Presidents Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy and Harry Truman. ...

MLK inspires to rise to moral heights

Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. remains a bright ornament in the heavens — an inspiration to rise to moral heights in the face of danger or evil. In Alabama, Birmingham Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor had his fire hoses, and Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clark his cattle prods, but Dr. King prevailed with justice fortified by courage. His sermon to judge people by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin, still thunders like a hammer on an anvil today. But are we listening? Tribalism flourishes. Stereotypes abound. Everyone is pigeonholed. Marching to your ...

Did you feel the vibe shift?

As a second Trump administration dawns — or, for his opponents, descends — on America, an interesting and unusual discussion has emerged over the broader meaning of Trump’s victory. One thing that makes it unusual is that there’s more consensus than disagreement about the fundamental point: There’s been a significant “vibe shift” in American politics. That’s not the way things typically work. Every victorious party claims a “new era” of some kind, but the losing side usually dissents. That’s because, historically, ideologues and activists are sufficiently ...

I remain hopeful about America

So many people I know — including, I suspect, many of you — are despairing over Trump’s second regime, which starts today. I share your fears about what’s to come. Yet I remain hopeful about the future of America. Here’s why. Trump hoodwinked average working Americans into believing he’s on their side and convinced enough voters that Kamala Harris and Democrats were on the side of cultural elites (the “deep state,” “woke”ism, “coastal elites,” and so on). But Trump’s hoax will not work for long, given the oligarchy’s conspicuous takeover of America ...

‘Sustainability’ a meaningless word

“Sustainability” investments became popular a few years back. So-called experts said companies shouldn’t just focus on profit. They should put more effort into being “nice.” Funds pushing ESG (environmental, social and governance) were all the rage. Giant investment firms like BlackRock pressured companies to hire more women and minorities. CEO Larry Fink announced, “All investments are going to be looked through sustainability.” But “sustainability” is a mostly meaningless word. Parnassus claimed it helped meet UN sustainability goals of “nutrition” and ...