When you really think about it, conservatives have wanted to take this country back to the beginning of the republic ever since Reagan was elected in 1980. After all, Antonin Scalia and the Originalists (which is a great name for a rock band, yes?) made their political and philosophical careers on interpreting the constitution according… Continue reading Alien and Sedition Acts Redux
Author: Robert I. Grundfest
I am a teacher, writer, voice-over artist and rationally opinionated observer of American and international society. While my job is to entertain and engage, my purpose is always to start a conversation.
Make America Great? Promote the Arts and Culture.
Had enough yet? Of course not. And it’s still February. If the press conference wasn’t proof enough that the president still doesn’t have a handle on his facts, then let’s move on to those things that do not lie: the numbers. Yes, it’s almost time for the president to issue a budget for the upcoming… Continue reading Make America Great? Promote the Arts and Culture.
Hey You! Wanna be Governor of NJ? We Need One
Chris Christie will go down in New Jersey history as one of the most unpopular, least effective, self-serving governors this state has ever had. And given our history, that’s saying a lot. But for someone with the political skills he has and the ability to connect with everyday people, having a 17% approval rating is… Continue reading Hey You! Wanna be Governor of NJ? We Need One
Readin’, Writin’ and ‘Ridiculous
There’s a certain perverse pride public educators should feel due to the fact that Betsy DeVos, the nominee for Secretary of Education, is, of all the Trump cabinet picks, the object of the most phone calls and other communications objecting to her confirmation. She’s also the only nominee that some Republican Senators will oppose. At… Continue reading Readin’, Writin’ and ‘Ridiculous
It’s Chauncey Gardiner On Crystal Meth
Something is telling me that this immigration ban isn’t working out the way the president (shudder) thought it would. He probably thought that since he’s, you know, Donald Trump and that, you know, Steve Bannon told him that Muslims are terrible, and that, you know, his rabid fan base voted for this craziness, that he… Continue reading It’s Chauncey Gardiner On Crystal Meth
Oppose and Replace
I completely understand how you felt Friday at around 12:20, after President Donald Trump (shudder) delivered the last of his vapid, sloganeering, frighteningly insipid and angry remarks after he was sworn in. You don’t recognize the country or its values or the office of the presidency or how the constitution fits into his plans and… Continue reading Oppose and Replace
On the Transition, There is No Comparison
It is inevitable that United States Presidents are compared not only to who served before them, but to those who came after them. If these past few weeks are any guide to the next four years – if Trump can avoid impeachment and conviction – then we can start making room for Barack Obama on… Continue reading On the Transition, There is No Comparison
Post Hack, Ergo Propter Hack
News that the Russians, which means Vladimir Putin, wanted Donald Trump to win the election shouldn’t surprise anyone. They’ve clearly sized him up and see him as the friend that he will turn out to be. They also are taking him seriously when he says that he will support torture and doesn’t care much for… Continue reading Post Hack, Ergo Propter Hack
Happy New Year
The new year always begins with so much hope and this year is no different. I hope that my friends will be healthy and happy. I hope that we can solve some of the country’s big problems and more of the little ones. I hope that we can come together as a nation and a… Continue reading Happy New Year
We Are the Majority. Shout It.
I think what’s sustaining me, and alternatively giving me strength, is the knowledge that the United States is not going to become a second-rate nation and that our form of government is not being irrevocably damaged by the Russians, Wikileaks, right wing white nationalists or Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations. No, we cannot let these entities… Continue reading We Are the Majority. Shout It.
The Military-Government Complex
Just in case you thought you’d get an early political holiday present in the form of Donald Trump actually being more moderate than his campaign promises, it’s time to start planning for that wrapped lump of coal to show up via Amazon drone. Which might be good news for the coal miners and executives waiting… Continue reading The Military-Government Complex
Foreign Affairs: Be Very Afraid
I think I’ve decided that the best way to incorporate the reality of Donald Trump being president is to just assume that what he’s saying at the time is undergirded by willful ignorance, lack of knowledge, boasts, and the idea that he’s a huckster showman who has little working knowledge of the United States Constitution,… Continue reading Foreign Affairs: Be Very Afraid