2025 archive
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
The writer of a letter to the editor of the Bangor Daily News hears a rhyme from slightly over two decades ago.
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*Mark Twain.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Once again, politeness becomes child’s play.
Once again, we are reminded that “responsible gun owner” is an oxymoron.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Jim Jones, writing at the Idaho State Journal, notices a pattern (emphasis added).
The 19 countries targeted were identified in a proclamation issued by Trump in June. They are all poor countries with non-white populations. Although Trump characterizes them as being potentially harmful to “Americans or our national interests,” none of them are in a position to pose a credible threat to the United States. Of interest is the fact that several nations not on the list do have substantial lucrative business relationships with the Trump family and have been at odds with America’s national interests.
Read his entire piece for context.
Russian Impulses 0
Via the Las Vegas Sun, Trudy Rubin warns that, to understand Donald Trump’s plan for peace in a piece of Ukraine, we need to follow the money.
Republican Thought Police . . . 0
. . . Meet the Establishmentarian Thought Police.
(Yeah, I know. There’s a lot of overlap there . . . .)
The War Gamer 0
The editorial board of the Japan Times looks at the statements and actions of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News weekend backbencher who somehow has ended up as Secretary of Defense (but who calls himself the Secretary of War), and argues that he is living out
Follow the link for their reasoning.
Extra-Special Bonus QOTD 0
Bob Cesca, commenting on how some right-wing commentators have delighted at the suffering inflicted by the Trump maladministraton’s attacks on Venezuelan fishing boats:
That’s the danger of populism–you’re so easily driven by reflecting the whim of the mob.
Real Big Men 0
Or so they think.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
The hunt for politeness goes on.
One wonders, was it the antlers or the fluffy little white tail?
The Fog Machination 0
Susan Estrich notes that the phrase “the fog of war” doesn’t mean what Pete Hegseth seems to think it means. She points out that
Follow the link to find out what it really means and how Hegseth is trying to hide himself in a fog of his own making.
(Misplet wrod correxted.)