The second American civil war on April 4, 2019America endured the Civil War (1861-1865). Now, an undeclared second civil war has broken out between Republicans and Democrats. The immediate casus belli is not Confederates firing on Fort Sumter in 1861. Instead, President Donald Trump is today’s Fort Sumter. It is open season on him and of course on his Democratic adversaries. This civil […]
Why UK and US are on roads to ruin on March 30, 2019Why are Britain and America, the two greatest democracies of the 20th century, careening towards separate roads to ruin when China and Russia are seemingly in the ascent? And what if anything can be done to reverse these situations? In the UK, the 2016 Brexit referendum has now rendered Prime Minister Theresa May and the […]
Memo for president Putin on March 17, 2019Mr. President: Part of your strategy has been to divide the West thereby weakening and unraveling NATO. Regarding the West, Britain and America, the two greatest democracies of the 20th century, are careening towards separate roads to ruin. It is in our obvious interest to encourage if not accelerate these forces. Indeed, this is the […]
Who needs game of thrones? on March 9, 2019After last week, who needs Game of Thrones or even Netflix to be entertained, dazzled and even overwhelmed than by merely reading the news or streaming it on television, cell phone or nearby computer? Messers Cohen, that is Michael formerly personal attorney to Donald Trump; Imran Khan, ace cricket bowler and now Pakistani Prime Minister; […]
The Trumpian trap on February 27, 2019While the president may often have the touch of an enraged elephant, Democrats too easily may take the bait and undervalue the power of his message. The president’s new “axis of evil” is Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. To a southern Floridian and large Hispanic audience, his words were enticing and intoxicating. Few would disagree with […]
Memogate is finally over! on February 20, 2019On May 2nd, SEAL Team Six descended on the residence of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad a few miles from Pakistan’s West Point. The U.S. did not forewarn Pakistani leadership feared a leak. Bin Laden was killed and a political crisis between Islamabad and Washington erupted over the raid and American violation of Pakistani sovereignty. […]
Can lies destroy a nation? on February 12, 2019To take liberties with Voltaire, “liars figure and figures lie.” Taken more broadly, all of us are prone to exaggeration, stretching the truth and occasionally telling “white lies.” Outright lying is hopefully less common although virtually every political leader often succumbs to the untruth. “I am not a crook” and “I did not have sexual […]
America needs a competent president on February 7, 2019Although November 2020 is twenty-one months away, the presidential campaign has begun. Seven Democrats have declared or established exploratory presidential committees. More will follow. Above all, America, Americans and the world at large desperately need a competent president. But will we get one? The president has established his re-election organization. While the Mueller investigation looms […]
Petulance is no substitute for politics on January 24, 2019A century ago, Oswald Spengler published The Decline of the West. In it, Spengler predicted that around the year 2000, Western civilization would enter a “pre-death emergency.” A question: are Brexit in the United Kingdom and a partial government shutdown in the U.S. precursors of this “pre-death emergency?” Or are these examples symptomatic of political […]
Build bridges not walls on January 16, 2019As this column goes to press, the partial governmental shutdown in America may be entering its fourth week–the longest in our history. The battle lines are drawn. President Donald Trump is very much betting his presidency on forcing Congressional Democrats to fund his “wall” with Mexico. While superimposed on a $4.4 trillion federal budget, the […]