Aug 24, 2016 | Conservativism, Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Liberalism, Libertarianism, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Salon (August 23, 2016) I’ve been second to none among progressive pundits urging the sane world to unify behind Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. I’m not going to repeat those arguments here. (If you’re reading this article, the chances are you know them anyway.) But it’s time to acknowledge the major logical flaw in any lesser-of-two-evils position: If we progressives want...
Aug 11, 2016 | Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Gun Control, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Salon (August 11, 2016) It was reprehensible for Donald Trump to insinuate that his pro-gun followers use violence to thwart Hillary Clinton. That said, was he really out of lockstep with what the NRA and other pro-gun groups have been saying for years? Just to be clear, this is what Trump said: “If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks. Although the Second Amendment...
Jul 16, 2016 | Abortion, Civil Liberties, Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Gay Rights and Other LGBTQIA Issues, Immigration, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: The Good Men Project (July 16, 2016) As The New York Times recently reported, there are an awful lot of social issues in which Donald Trump doesn’t now or didn’t in the past line up with his new vice presidential running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. These range from abortion and gay rights to whether smoking kills people. Considering that Trump has flip-flopped on a number of issues...
Jun 28, 2016 | Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Gender and Sexism, Immigration, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Republicans
Published: Salon (July 2, 2016), The Good Men Project (June 28, 2016) Back in March, I observed that Donald Trump had transformed the Republican Party in a similar way as Barry Goldwater. For those of you unfamiliar with the reference, Goldwater was a plucky arch-conservative Senator from Arizona who defied the GOP establishment by winning their party's presidential nomination in 1964. Although...
Apr 26, 2016 | Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Gender and Sexism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Republicans
Published: Salon (April 26, 2016) There is an element of the Shakespearean to the Donald Trump campaign. Comedy and tragedy are often inextricably linked in melodrama, and as Trump rambles and bloviates his way through the American presidential election process (and perhaps, one fears, to the presidency itself), an intriguing narrative arc is taking shape. It began almost exactly five years ago,...
Apr 6, 2016 | Conservativism, Democrats, Economic Policy, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Foreign Policy, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Salon (April 5, 2016) There is one issue in which Donald Trump is much more progressive than Hillary Clinton – and, unless she learns from history and decisively changes the way Americans perceive her positions here, it may wind up costing her the presidency. I’m referring, of course, to American trade policy. Although the last president to oppose free trade was Hebert Hoover (and his...
Mar 26, 2016 | Centrism, Conservativism, Extremism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, mic, Political Ideologies
Published: The Good Men Project (March 26, 2016) "The only index by which to judge a government or a way of life is by the quality of the people it acts upon. No matter how noble the objectives of a government, if it blurs decency and kindness, cheapens human life, and breeds ill will and suspicion—it is an evil government." - Eric Hoffer I posted this quote not only because I agree with its...
Mar 24, 2016 | Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Internet Culture, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Science and Technology
Published: The Daily Dot (March 24, 2016) There was an interesting debate at the University of Pennsylvania this week. TheFoundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, hosted a panel discussion on the effectiveness of hashtag activism. The debate featured Zeynep Tufekci, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Zellie Imani, an educator whose...
Mar 11, 2016 | Conservativism, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Jewish Experiences, Other Media, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Republicans
Interview with Kris Welch. Want to hear what I had to say (cue it up to around the 23:30 mark for my section)? Radio Interview
Jan 31, 2016 | Conservativism, Democrats, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Alternet (January 31, 2016), Salon (January 31, 2016), The Good Men Project (January 21, 2016) As the 2016 presidential election gathers steam, it’s tempting to compare the Bernie Sanders surge among Democrats with the Donald Trump phenomenon among Republicans. After all, both candidates are marshalling support from the ideological grassroots in their respective parties (the left in...