I am surprised and disappointed at those Republicans who support Trump to the point of rejecting the will of the American people and even democracy itself. The recent effort to allow Vice-president Pence to potentially replace Electoral College votes for Mr Biden with votes for Mr Trump came close to
Continue readingTag: Trump (Donald)
Views from the Beltline: A tale of two presidents and the rule of law
We can draw an interesting comparison between two politicians currently concerned that the long arm of the law may catch up to them upon leaving the sanctuary of the presidency. One has little to worry about. As an autocrat, he can manipulate both the people and the legislature to his
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: What I learned from Trump
Up until four years ago I assumed that democracy was not only strong, it was invincible. At least in the Anglosphere. Why wouldn’t I? During my lifetime, democracy had survived the Great Depression, the Second World War complete with Fascists and Nazis, and the Cold War against a totalitarian state.
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Donald Trump is now as American as apple pie
Donald Trump is for real. His victory in 2016 was no fluke. He got more votes this time, including more support from Republicans, the party he was predicted to shatter, than he did last time. He even got more votes from Latinos and Blacks. For half the U.S. public, Trump
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Electing Biden isn’t enough
In 2016, Americans embarrassed themselves by electing Donald Trump as their president. Then Trump took over and has embarrassed them ever since. If they want to regain the world’s respect, they must not only elect Joe Biden next Tuesday, they must repudiate Trump. They must elect Biden in a landslide.
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: China has a soft power shortage
Now would seem to be the moment for China’s star to shine. It has gained control of the coronavirus pandemic rapidly and effectively, and it is the only member of the G20 whose economy is expected to grow this year. At the same time, its major rival on the world
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Democracy embarrassed
As a committed democrat, I would dearly love to be able to convince doubters of democracy’s superiority by pointing to its leaders. And in the past that has often been easy. Today, not so much. This came home to me the other day as I followed the speeches at the
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Scientific American chooses Biden
Sometimes you just have to take a stand. Enough is enough. Throughout its long history, the magazine Scientific American has kept to science and left politics to the politicians. No more. For the upcoming presidential election, for the first time in its history, it has endorsed a candidate. Needless to
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: U.S. image in the sewer
According to a 13-nation survey by the Pew Research Center, the reputation of the U.S. has hit a record low. Significantly, the survey covered key American allies and partners, including the UK, France, Germany, Canada and Japan. In no country except South Korea did a majority express a favourable view
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: We still need the U.S.
Reading The Guardian last week, two articles captured my attention. Set side by side were “A ‘tyrant-clown’ has destroyed my love affair with America” by Robert McCrum and “‘Chairman Xi’ seeks only to purge and subjugate. That is his weakness” by Simon Tisdall. In the first, McCrum talks about his
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Conservatives Struggle with Science
When conservatives talk about “the elites,” and they talk about them a lot, it isn’t always clear who they are talking about. They certainly aren’t referring to the rich, who many of us think of as the elites, because conservatives are the party of the rich, the party of privilege.
Continue readingWill the "Red Menace" Work in the 21st Century?
During the Cold War, conservative politicians could always be relied on to trot out the “red menace,” accusing opponents of being soft on communism. It was usually good for a few votes—in the U.S. for many votes. It was, of course, just a version of one of the oldest and
Continue readingSo Long Bernie, It’s Been Good to Know Ya
So Bernie Sanders has packed it in. As someone whose views commonly fall within the ambit of social democracy, I could have easily voted for Bernie—if I was a citizen of his formerly great nation. The U.S. is desperately in need of some of his views, especially on growing inequality
Continue readingIs the U.S. Returning to Its Imperial Roots?
In 1776, the United States declared its independence of Great Britain. The Americans had had their fill of aristocracy and monarchy. Once they had defeated the British, they wrote a constitution that would establish and constrain the federal government. The head of state, for example, now a president rather than
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: How Does a Lawyer Justify Participating in a Legal Fraud?
I understand that in a system that abides by due process all those accused of a crime are entitled to legal counsel, regardless of how depraved they may be. I have no problem there. But I also understand that lawyers are obligated to respect the justice system. And here I
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The World’s Most Dangerous Man
There are a lot of unpleasant people running countries these days. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un for example, surrounding himself with nuclear weapons while his people starve. Or China’s Xi Jinping, who has made himself emperor. Or the homicidal crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman. Or Jair Bolsonaro of
Continue readingDefending the Indefensible Left and Right
People of the left and, one would hope, also many on the right, look on with horror as Republican politicians unconditionally support their degenerate president. Trump once boasted “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” and it appears that
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The Most Consequential Decision of the Decade
This is the time when we commonly look back over the year, or decade, or century, and pronounce our choice of the most significant event or events. There are endless events to choose and a multitude of rationals for our different choices. So many in fact I weary of making
Continue readingChristian Editor Disses Trump
Donald Trump may have evangelical Christians wrapped around his tiny finger, but at least one of note has expressed a dissenting view. Editor in chief Mark Galli of the magazine Christianity Today has torn a strip off the president. Galli writes that Trump’s actions in Ukraine are “a violation of
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Time Recognizes the Adult in the Room
What a time we live in when children have to tell adults to behave responsibly. But such times these are. Consider Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump. Which, we might ask, is the adult in the room. Greta, who has the wisdom but no power, or Donald, who has the power
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