Volume 268 | No. 5

Mon, Nov 20

2020—“What is the downside for humoring him,” says an anonymous high GOP official to Washington Post reporters. “It’s not like he’s plotting how to prevent Joe Biden from taking power on January 20th.” 2008—Sarah Palin is interviewed on live TV while, in the background, turkeys are being slaughtered. 1980—In Louisiana, an oil rig drilling in the wrong spot hits a salt mine under Lake Peigneur. The rig, 11 barges, and a tugboat disappear. 1979—Fundamentalists seize Mecca’s Grand Mosque, full of hostages. The CIA blames guiltless Iran. 1975—The Senate’s Church Committee issues its report on U.S. efforts to assassinate foreign leaders; 349 pages make it past …

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We’re No. 1!—In Inexplicability…

To the Editor, What is the matter with this country? It is difficult to imagine a more vile person than Donald Trump. Yet, with all his horrid qualities, fully 45 percent of Americans would vote for him. I guess they are not bothered by the 91 indictments, two impeachments, efforts to overthrow the government, endless lies, rape conviction, accusations of sexual assault from dozens of women, storage of nuclear secrets in his bathroom, and utter unfitness for office. No matter how awful Trump is, his support does not fall. And no matter what Joe Biden accomplishes, he does not receive the credit. His record over …

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Sorrow, grief, and trouble sit like vultures on my psychic fence

by Jean Stimmell A few years ago, I photographed five vultures attempting to warm up on a cold winter morning by spreading their wings toward the sun. I am using it to illustrate this rant. The title⁠1 reflects how I feel. I can’t get images of maimed and bloody bodies out of my mind, first in Ukraine and now doubling down in Israel and Palestine. They are broadcast nonstop on the news and haunt my dreams. Especially disturbing are the corpses of dead babies. As I write this, 4104 children have been killed so far, just in Gaza, according to the United Nations.⁠2 Seeing their …

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Seeing Through the Economic Bait and Switch

The values of the U.S. public are not the same as those of the wealthy and corporations. It took a UN official—an outsider—to point out the dissonance. By Sonali Kolhatkar Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, recently issued a scathing statement about the shameful state of the United States economy. On October 31, 2023, De Schutter called out several top private employers in the U.S., Amazon, Walmart, and DoorDash, for trapping their workers in a cycle of poverty. He said, “Jobs are supposed to provide a pathway out of poverty, yet in all three companies the business …

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The Countdown to… What?

We face another 354 days of uncertainty, then: November 5th. Even the best outcome will bring a mixture of relief and dread. Two-thirds of the country will sigh with relief if #45 fails to mutate into #47. Then they’ll hold their breath as the remaining third—armed, angry, and impervious to reason—decides what it’s going to do about it. If they were Democrats they would argue amongst themselves then splinter into factions. That is a law as inexorable as gravity. Not this crowd, though. These are rough and ready Republicans, eager to follow a strong, inspiring leader, right into the Gates of Hell! There will be …

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