by John Paluszek on Feb-18-2021
Whither Trumpism now? An avalanche of analyses is already forming. So here – before the second impeachment trial fades from the front pages – is a proposed tracking for the months (and years?) ahead: I. Definition (Wikipedia): Trumpism is a term for the political ideology, style of governance,[9] political movement and set of mechanisms for acquiring and keeping power that are […]
by John Paluszek on Feb-09-2021
As the United States Senate opens the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump – one of the most far-reaching actions in American political history – the nation is engulfed in a miasma of conflicting public tensions. Consider a new report on the January 6th U.S. Capitol riot: The Chicago Project on Security and Threats at […]
by John Paluszek on Jan-27-2021
April 8, 1974 Atlanta Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves – “A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South.” – Vin Scully, iconic Dodger television broadcaster. The occasion, of course, was legendary baseball star Hank Aaron hitting his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s record. Turns out that […]
by John Paluszek on Jan-25-2021
Yes, democracy has prevailed in America. And accompanying it the powerful force for service to the American commonweal and the world: COMPETENCE In the first 48 hours after the Inauguration, President Joseph Biden Jr. undertook a remarkable exercise of presidential authority. Among the initiatives: Signed 27 Executive Orders, each addressing a vital national issue. – Began […]
by John Paluszek on Jan-18-2021
Was the terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol the inflection point for corporate money in politics? The New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin thinks it should be – not just a “pause for reflection”, but a permanent policy commitment to cease donations to political candidates “An Epiphany” Moment for Corporate Donors May Have Arrived” . With […]
by John Paluszek on Jan-04-2021
“Historic Anti-Corruption Measures Become Law” “the most significant update to U.S. anti-money laundering laws in a generation.” That’s how the widely respected anti-corruption organization Transparency International summarized the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) included in the U.S. Senate’s Friday override of President Trump’s veto of the National Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. The CTA is […]
by John Paluszek on Dec-01-2020
Sunday, November 29th 2020, FoxNews: The President of the United States Donald J. Trump proclaims he “will use 125% of my energy” during at least the next six months to continue trying to overthrow the November election results. And so, now it begins. As the U.S. government transition gets underway – finally – news media and […]
by John Paluszek on Nov-22-2020
Today, hard as it may be to imagine … there will come a time after COVID-19. The great news this month on vaccines for the virus, although preliminary, gives reason to begin to think what society might be like – perhaps what it should be like – when that time comes. Surely, the post-COVID-19 world will not […]
by John Paluszek on
Today, hard as it may be to imagine … there will come a time after COVID-19. The great news this month on vaccines for the virus, although preliminary, gives reason to begin to think what society might be like – perhaps what it should be like – when that time comes. Surely the post-COVID-19 […]
by John Paluszek on Nov-10-2020
A hundred fifty million votes. That is likely to be about the number of votes cast in the 2020 U.S. election – by far a record turnout. The herculean responsibility and task of insuring that all of these American votes are recorded and reported accurately has been delegated, as always, to a cadre of dedicated citizens who […]
by John Paluszek on Nov-02-2020
For many decades it was America’s political “Rubik’s Cube.” “It” being the effort to establish a national health service. President Theodore Roosevelt tried and failed. As did Presidents Truman and Clinton (although, in a piecemeal approach Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for the poor became the law during the Lyndon Johnson administration.) So, in […]
by John Paluszek on Oct-30-2020
It shouldn’t have to be said, but it was said, repeatedly, this week – and by powerful voices in the business community: Any post-election transfer of power must be peaceful. The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility is an association of 275 faith-based institutional investors – and a leader in corporate social responsibility – with […]
by John Paluszek on Oct-25-2020
“It ain’t necessarily so.” * Sadly, this week we’ve learned that we will now have to be extra alert when seeking out news: Here’s why: the alarming headline of just-published New York Times detailed investigative report that reveals a national visceral assault on journalist transparency and authenticity: As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play […]
by John Paluszek on Oct-17-2020
“What does it mean to love a country?” Pulitzer Prize winning author Marilynne Robinson had me with her very first sentence. And I’ll wager that she will “have” you as well – from “love a country” – to the very end of her soulful New York Times meditation, Don’t Give Up on America […]
by John Paluszek on Oct-15-2020
President Donald J. Trump is finally building his wall. But this one is not on the U.S. southern border. The “wall” is between American voters and their resolve to protect the experiment called democracy that has sustained the nation for two and a half centuries. The challenge — being met by the voters and dedicated […]
