Sacramento (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The traditional left–right political spectrum no longer captures the forces driving division in America today. That model works when we’re dealing with competing ideologies and when ideological disagreement is the primary driver of division in society. But today, we face something more destabilizing: a profound rupture in shared […]
In our National Crisis, We need Public Voices of Optimism — not Gadflies circling a Black Hole
Sacramento (Special to Informed Comment) – Who is a public intellectual? What role should they play? Searching the internet yields several answers. Alan Lightman’s The Role of the Public Intellectual offers a thoughtful discussion of different visions of the public intellectual and their role and responsibilities. I have opted for a broader description, but with […]
How did Conservatives successfully smear “Liberal” (Respect for Liberty and Rights of Others) as Mule Word?
Sacramento (Special to Informed Comment) – The 2020 elections are over, but once again it proved that Liberal-bashing remains a favorite pastime of the Republican party and conservative politicians. Verbal assault on “liberal” politicians and the media, “liberalism,” and the root-word “liberal” by the political right (and occasionally by the hard left) has remained a […]
Patriotism, American Style: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sacramento, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – What is Patriotism? Let’s begin with the difficult part: defining and understanding patriotism. Patriotism refers to the feelings and behaviors of individuals and groups who see themselves belonging to a large community called a nation, and who identify intensely with it. When the chips are down, those who […]
Trump warns of “Total Anarchy, Madness and Chaos,” but they are his Reelection Strategy
Sacramento, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – During the Republican National Convention, in his fantasy world, Trump paralogized a “liberal dystopia” claiming: “I’m the only thing standing between the American dream and total anarchy, madness and chaos.” In the real world, the opposite holds true. If, after the November 2020 elections, Trump is left standing, […]
A Parable for Trump’s America: The Mulla’s Snake and the Village of Nescience
Sacramento (Special to Informed Comment) – In pre-revolution Iran during the mid-1950s, an elementary school textbook had a parable about an illiterate mullah. He ran the village maktab (religious school) teaching the children how to memorize and recite the holy Koran. Since the villagers were illiterate, their collective nescience made life comfortable for the mullah. […]
A Nation of Trolls: Is it Even Worthwhile to Discuss with Trumpies Anymore?
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain Should we find ourselves in the company of the Trumpies, does it make sense to engage them in a political conversation? If your real aim is to influence their outlook by confronting […]
Trump’s Misinformed America is the Highest Stage of Post-Truth
Sacramento, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – No American president in memory has pursued his personal and public ambitions largely by willfully misinforming the American public on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis with his tweets and speeches. Indeed, Trump’s singular achievement has been his relentless effort to usurp and fill the void of political ignorance […]
The Emperor’s Clothes: The Absurdity of the US-Iran Conflict
Sacramento, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – The leaders of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, and the United States, President Donald Trump, share an identical strategic aim: ending the US’s military presence in the Middle East. I cannot recall any other conflict where the antagonists fully agree on a specific end goal. This fact alone makes the […]
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