Democracy Archives – https://ezkool.com/category/democracy/ Thu, 28 May 2020 19:21:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://ezkool.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ezkool-logo-75png.png Democracy Archives – https://ezkool.com/category/democracy/ 32 32 12773863 What A Great Idea! Let’s Pollute More! https://ezkool.com/2018/08/what-a-great-idea-lets-pollute-more/ Sun, 05 Aug 2018 15:52:45 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67389 I agree that any talk of restoring this country’s greatness must include a return to the smoke-belching, less-regulated, gas-guzzling, backroom-deal-making era that characterized the United States during its hegemonic, paternalistic, condescending, arrogant post-World War II to 1991 past. If I’ve argued anything in my life, it’s that smog and respiratory distress are about as American […]

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]]> 67389 Think the Supreme Court is Non-Political? Think Again. https://ezkool.com/2018/07/think-the-supreme-court-is-non-political-think-again/ Sun, 29 Jul 2018 15:24:09 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67366 I just spent a week doing what all teachers should have the option of doing in the summer if they didn’t need a second job to make ends meet. I attended a seminar on a content topic that was both fascinating, useful, and timely. It was sponsored by the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History and […]

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]]> 67366 You Want Change? Eyes Forward https://ezkool.com/2018/07/you-want-change-eyes-forward/ Sun, 22 Jul 2018 15:11:12 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67362 I’m sure you’ve heard about the latest outrage. Of course you have. It was about foreign affairs or the economy or immigration or something that will make the country weak or less democratic or dirtier or something. You reacted to it on social media. Maybe you organized something or gave money to someone or just […]

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]]> 67362 The Issues That Will Win the Day https://ezkool.com/2018/07/the-issues-that-will-win-the-day/ Mon, 16 Jul 2018 14:49:46 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67355 Have you noticed that Congress hasn’t passed any laws lately? Yes, I know they’ve probably snuck in some measures having to do with the awfulness of the government being able to help poor people or possibly allowing people to cite religious beliefs as a way to discriminate, but other than that, nothing. I’ve already written […]

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]]> 67355 Whither Infrastructure? https://ezkool.com/2018/07/whither-infrastructure/ Sun, 08 Jul 2018 14:55:07 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67348 What a great word. Infrastructure. People of all stripes and models use it earnestly despite its awkwardness. It means so much and is so difficult to romanticize. I’ll stop. Remember when infrastructure was going to be first on the new president’s agenda? It was going to be the issue that Democrats and Republicans could rally […]

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]]> 67348 The Absolute Power Grab: Ignorance of the Law Becomes Trendy https://ezkool.com/2018/06/2the-absolute-power-grab-ignorance-of-the-law-becomes-trendy/ Sun, 03 Jun 2018 16:31:26 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67257 There’s nothing like studying the Watergate scandal to remind you of what can happen when one person gets more power than they can handle. President Nixon thought he was above the law, but the Supreme Court said otherwise. Now we have Nixon redux or more likely, Trump acid reflux, in the form of a president who believes […]

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]]> 67257 The Last Vestige of Scoundrels https://ezkool.com/2018/05/the-last-vestige-of-scoundrels/ Sun, 27 May 2018 15:41:55 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67244 Great statements are considered great for a reason, and this one by Samuel Johnson about false patriotism certainly stands the test of time. Scoundrels will use patriotism for their own ends. If it wasn’t apparent when Donald Trump began his run for president, it is crystal clear now; that his brand of patriotism is noxious, uncompromising, divisive […]

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]]> 67244 Happy Mother’s Day https://ezkool.com/2018/05/happy-mothers-day/ Sun, 13 May 2018 14:42:50 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67209 Remember not to post anything on the Internet you wouldn’t want your mother to see. Of course, that would exclude 99% of what’s on the Internet. Happy Mother’s Day.

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]]> 67209 Beware of Smiling Dictators https://ezkool.com/2018/04/beware-of-smiling-dictators5/ Sun, 29 Apr 2018 12:55:16 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67176 It’s on. The Kim Jong-un Redemption Tour is officially under way and like any other one-party, all-powerful, illiberal, murderous dictator, he is smiling all the way. Hello. I had my uncle shot. (Smile) Hello. I had my half-brother killed in one of the most unique, sinister plots I could think of. (Smile) Hello. I’m going […]

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]]> 67176 After the Nor’easters:Trump Caves on the Budget While the Real Storm(y) is on the Horizon https://ezkool.com/2018/03/0after-the-noreasterstrump-caves-on-the-budget-while-the-real-stormy-is-on-the-horizon/ Sun, 25 Mar 2018 15:30:55 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=67115 For all the talk about President Trump almost vetoing the Congressional spending bill, what’s lost is that his presidency will likely turn out to be a textbook case of an outsider with no natural political constituency unable to reorder the bureaucracy or scare enough legislators to bend to his will. After all, here is a […]

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]]> 67115 Secretariat Was a Stable Genius Too https://ezkool.com/2018/01/secretariat-stable-genius/ Sun, 07 Jan 2018 15:07:50 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66881 Can someone please tell me what the fuss is all about? Didn’t we know that a minority of people didn’t elect a statesman or someone with a deep and abiding knowledge of public affairs? Wasn’t it clear that Donald Trump was just a real estate guy with a TV show that glorified…himself and…his accomplishments based […]

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]]> 66881 Do Not Let Us Fall Into Temptation https://ezkool.com/2017/12/not-let-us-fall-temptation77/ Sun, 10 Dec 2017 15:52:42 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66739 Usually I skip over stories that have to do with the Pope, but I’ve been reading more of them since Francis took the rather large yarmulke a few years ago because he seems to get the part about treating people like humans. He still has work to do with women and the Rohingya, but his proposed new […]

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]]> 66739 Tired of Russia and Taxes? Here’s The New Jersey Election Special! https://ezkool.com/2017/11/tired-russia-taxes-heres-new-jersey-election-special/ Sun, 05 Nov 2017 16:05:36 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66573 For the moment, I’m going to put aside the frenzy over the Mueller investigation and how the Russian hacking and fake Facebook posts were all Hillary’s fault even though GOP campaign operatives lied through their collective teeth about their contacts with said Russians, and I’m going to postpone any comments on the new GOP Let’s […]

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]]> 66573 The Weeks Ahead: Pressure, Not Panic https://ezkool.com/2017/10/3weeks-ahead-pressure-not-panic/ Sun, 29 Oct 2017 15:36:17 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66553 Hoping for something special on Monday when Robert Mueller has promised to unseal the first legal action relating to his probe of Russia’s involvement in the election? Speculation is rampant and the Republicans must be nervous or they wouldn’t be dredging up Hillary stories. My favorites are the ones that say the Democrats are the […]

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]]> 66553 Shooting Policy Blanks https://ezkool.com/2017/10/4shooting-policy-blanks/ Sun, 08 Oct 2017 16:16:45 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66523 We learned this week that the Republican Party is so concerned about religious rights that they’ll compromise women’s health and allow people who are supposedly committed to love and compassion to discriminate against fellow human beings who love differently than they do. We also learned that the only suggestion they can come up with when […]

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]]> 66523 The Dotard Wants War and Concussions https://ezkool.com/2017/09/22dotard-wants-war-concussions/ Sun, 24 Sep 2017 15:38:41 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66488 Take that, you John McCain you. And NFL players who kneel for the national anthem? You need to speak the way we want you to speak. And hit harder, man! Be like Aaron Hernandez. But what’s happening with Stephen Curry you ask? We don’t want your NBA Championship demeanor and terrific play and ambassador-like personality anywhere near the […]

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]]> 66488 Why Are We Debating Hate? https://ezkool.com/2017/08/why-are-we-debating-hate00/ Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:17:18 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66432 Finally, the president has united much of the country. Unfortunately for him, most of the country opposes what he stands for. Yes, there are still many people who support the president and believe that his equating violence on both sides was appropriate, but a larger majority sees the danger in his saying that the Nazis and the […]

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]]> 66432 The Trump Doctrine: Shoot Off Mouth, Then Foot https://ezkool.com/2017/08/324trump-doctrine-shoot-off-mouth-foot/ Fri, 11 Aug 2017 11:30:50 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66420 At this point, the main difference between President Trump’s (shudder) relationship with Kim Jong-un and Mitch McConnell is that Trump has asked only McConnell to resign. Kim just gets the bluster treatment. Of the two, McConnell is in the biggest trouble. Here in New Jersey, and only about 10 miles from the president’s retreat in […]

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]]> 66420 Sometimes, America, It Takes a Leak https://ezkool.com/2017/08/24sometimes-america-takes-leak/ Sun, 06 Aug 2017 15:59:20 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66415 Thank goodness for government leaks and the leakers who leak them. From the Pentagon Papers to the transcripts of President Trump’s (shudder) conversations with the leaders of Mexico and Australia, leaks of government information have overwhelmingly benefited the country. They serve the interests of democracy. They uncover that which the ruling class would like to keep […]

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]]> 66415 The Trump Cycle: Blather, Reince, Repeal https://ezkool.com/2017/07/90trump-cycle-blather-reince-repeal/ Sun, 30 Jul 2017 15:06:59 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66402 American Heroes Week is firmly in the rear-view mirror. But as we celebrate our heroes – Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, John McCain and every Senate Democrat – it’s important to remember that every American can be a hero every day simply by living a positive, moral, thinking, compassionate, empathetic, reflective life and acting on those […]

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]]> 66402 Beg Your Pardon? I Can’t Fear You. https://ezkool.com/2017/07/beg-pardon-cant-fear65/ Sun, 23 Jul 2017 15:23:38 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66395 If the past six months is any guide, then most politicians – corporate executives and foreign leaders – have little to fear from Donald Trump. He has turned out to be a wildly ineffective manager, deal maker and communicator, and with turnover in his administration expected to be high over the coming months (Sean Spicer […]

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]]> 66395 Christie’s Last Stand: Bankrupt Bluster https://ezkool.com/2017/07/99christies-last-stand-bankrupt-bluster/ Sun, 02 Jul 2017 10:11:34 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66378 Governor Christie is obviously not content with 15% approval ratings. He must want them to go lower. And he’s doing a great job, drawing a line in closed beach sand about the state budget that was supposed to be approved by June 30. The problem is that Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto refused to include Christie’s proposed grab […]

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]]> 66378 Worst is the New Normal https://ezkool.com/2017/06/worst-new-normal/ Sun, 25 Jun 2017 15:30:57 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66363 Let me get this straight. The president (shudder) lies in hinting that he might have tapes of his conversations with James Comey in order to make sure that Comey tells the truth when he testifies under oath in front of Congress? Comey says that this spurred him to have a friend leak information he hoped […]

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]]> 66363 Hail Caesar! https://ezkool.com/2017/06/88hail-caesar/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:37:33 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66349 I go back and forth about whether there is such a thing as fate. This is one of those weeks where I believe. The shooting of the Republican congressional baseball team in Alexandria is terrible enough, and predictably, the right wing scream machine is in full blather blaming the Democrats and their anti-Trump rhetoric for […]

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]]> 66349 The Snowflake Presidency https://ezkool.com/2017/06/90the-snowflake-presidency/ https://ezkool.com/2017/06/90the-snowflake-presidency/#respond Sun, 11 Jun 2017 16:17:34 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66342 When are Americans going to wake up and realize that Donald Trump is like any other guy in a bar with an opinion and limited facts? That he’s essentially a guy who went into dad’s business, spreading his money around to anyone who would spell his name correctly in big neon letters, and that he […]

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]]> https://ezkool.com/2017/06/90the-snowflake-presidency/feed/ 0 66342 Hey! New Jersey’s Electing A Governor! Pass It On https://ezkool.com/2017/05/43hey-new-jerseys-electing-governor-pass/ https://ezkool.com/2017/05/43hey-new-jerseys-electing-governor-pass/#respond Sun, 28 May 2017 14:44:01 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66317 And you probably thought that Chris Christie had appointed himself governor-for-life. Of course, I wouldn’t put it past him, but his approval ratings are even lower than Trump’s, so he’ll need to leave next January. And with all the fun and excitement going on in DC these days, I can’t really blame you if you […]

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]]> https://ezkool.com/2017/05/43hey-new-jerseys-electing-governor-pass/feed/ 0 66317 Witch Hunting for Nuts https://ezkool.com/2017/05/witch-hunting-nuts/ https://ezkool.com/2017/05/witch-hunting-nuts/#respond Sun, 21 May 2017 15:13:54 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66291 The good thing, and perhaps the only good thing, about the Trump Administration (shudder) is that you never really have to wait very long before the real story becomes apparent. This is decidedly not a regular presidency or White House where the shrouds of secrecy and intrigue hide covert actions for months or years at […]

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]]> https://ezkool.com/2017/05/witch-hunting-nuts/feed/ 0 66291 100 Days of Ineptitude https://ezkool.com/2017/04/100-days-ineptitude45/ https://ezkool.com/2017/04/100-days-ineptitude45/#respond Sun, 30 Apr 2017 15:25:53 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66165 With sincere apologies to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. After all, Marquez knew it wasn’t easy to write a book, which is more than we can say about how easy Donald Trump thought (?) being president was going to be. It’s really a stunning admission given that, well, almost everyone else in the country over the age […]

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]]> https://ezkool.com/2017/04/100-days-ineptitude45/feed/ 0 66165 Wrong Way Flows The Don(ald) https://ezkool.com/2017/04/wrong-way-flows-donald89/ https://ezkool.com/2017/04/wrong-way-flows-donald89/#respond Sun, 23 Apr 2017 15:09:54 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66155 I imagine that to a Trump supporter, the president’s moves seem like a new direction for the country. For me, we are taking giant steps backwards. It’s not just the denial of climate science or the reversal of protections for LGBTQ citizens, or the hounding of Muslims or threatening North Korea with a ship that […]

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]]> https://ezkool.com/2017/04/wrong-way-flows-donald89/feed/ 0 66155 Who Knew It Could Get So Dangerous? https://ezkool.com/2017/04/knew-get-dangerous523/ https://ezkool.com/2017/04/knew-get-dangerous523/#respond Sun, 16 Apr 2017 16:20:20 +0000 http://ezkool.com/?p=66140 On the (months ago) heels of a 40 watt light bulb going off in the president’s head about how complicated health care could be, comes another revelation – unstated, about how dangerous the world could be. Perhaps Donald Trump believed that throwing 59 missiles at Syria would startle Presidents Assad and Putin to the point […]

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]]> https://ezkool.com/2017/04/knew-get-dangerous523/feed/ 0 66140