Sun, 18 August 2019
In the White House, it's been called the Swing Around the Circle, a planned rally tour to persuade middle-of-the-road voters of his moderation, and of the extremism of the opposition. But not all plans ...well... go off as planned. |
Wed, 22 November 2017
On November 19, a special time marking national redefinition, a day signifying dedication to an ideal, we are reminded instead how far we have fallen.
Direct download: Long_Presidential_Journey_from_Profound_to_Petty.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 11:25pm EDT |
Wed, 2 August 2017
In 1970, Mayor Carl Stokes gently rebuked an accuser. Not quite half a century later, that rebuke stands in contrast with clumsy denials by Trump's Interior Secretary.
Direct download: How_to_Deny_with_Class_When_the_Denial_is_True.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 10:31pm EDT |
Wed, 14 June 2017
When the ruler of the most powerful nation in the world demands unconditional loyalty, even future generations will take notice.
Direct download: Demanding_Loyalty_Demanding_Adoration.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 11:32pm EDT |
Wed, 31 May 2017
Nearly five decades later, James Comey repeated that scandal.
Direct download: How_James_Comey_Became_Lyndon_Johnson.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 11:34pm EDT |
Wed, 15 February 2017
Elizabeth Warren deserves praise: She "persisted." Among others who persisted, John Quincy Adams was a true original.
Direct download: Elizabeth_Warren_Joins_Another_Persister_John_Quincy_Adams.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 10:05pm EDT |
Wed, 16 November 2016
Think you know history? Think you understand why the Electoral College was formed? Think it was all about distrust of "tyranny of the majority" and big vs small states? Think again. Most of us were taught a constitutional fiction.
Direct download: Electoral_College_Gets_a_Failing_Grade.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 9:24pm EDT |
Wed, 11 May 2016
Almost 50 years ago, Brian Wilson trashed the best work he had ever done. We do not need to follow his sad example by repeating past tragedies for our country today.
Direct download: Policy_Politics_and_the_Costly_Embrace_of_Disappointment.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 10:04pm EDT |
Thu, 21 April 2016
It isn't because of her political positions. It isn't because of her qualifications. It is something more basic.
Direct download: Why_So_Many_Support_the_Untrustable_Hillary.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 12:11am EDT |
Thu, 10 December 2015
We react with degrees of fear and reason to tragic mass shootings. Some of those reactions carry their own tragedy.
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Wed, 28 October 2015
Conservatives could have seen Barack Obama as proof that conservative values work. Why did they sacrifice those values?
Direct download: How_Did_Conservatives_Lose_Booker_T_Obama.mp3
Category:History, News -- posted at: 9:26pm EDT |
Wed, 14 October 2015
Joe Biden, Paul Ryan, and Mario Cuomo have something sad in common. They might have changed America. They never will. |
Tue, 9 September 2014
The literary storm that followed an unfortunate book review in the Economist magazine has been a combination of outrage and rage. The review was critical of a book by Edward Baptist about slavery. The reviewer presented the case that the book lacked balance, neglecting to present the case in favor of slavery. The Economist withdrew the piece. The recantation contained the review itself as a gesture toward transparency. It served as an allocution of sorts: an acknowledgment of the facts as part of an admission of guilt. The controversy brought to mind the lessons of my youth and a larger message about history itself. The reasons we were taught what we were taught can teach us more now than we could ever have learned then. |