Politics – Page 17 – Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 3

You Can’t Break What You Never Had

You can be surprised to see what you thought was real shatter.

The one thing I hope people take away from this entire episode of our lives is that contracts, oaths, laws, constitutions, compacts, vows, etc… matter less than the character of those who swear by and agree to them.

Daniel tafjord 9p7nBsrcCt0 unsplash. This is not new. But we delude ourselves into thinking breaches of character and integrity are rare things, not run of the mill occurences.

The only reason we have contracts, oaths, laws, constitutions, compacts, vows, etc… is because humans have always had inherit distrust in one another. We’ve stitched trust together from of words, and sometimes deeds, to keep us together and sometimes apart. But every garment has frays and tears, as does the fabric of our lives.

Everything breaks in the end.

(Image by Daniel Tafjord on Unsplash)

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

Sunday Morning Reading

Notice the good things amidst the bad.

It’s been a week. But I repeat myself. These days it seems like that’s always the case. Superman’s back. (Again.) So too are this season’s butterflies. Everything circles back. Today’s Sunday Morning Reading is a potpourri of topics of interest that stroke a number of chords, some familiar, some not so, some good, some not so. Either way, enjoy.

Photo 1693722379283 fd3627e18cea.

In That Was Good, Merlin Mann says that smart people always find the best reasons for being very sad. I can relate. He suggests the cure for that might be noticing some good things. Even the small ones. Check it out. It’s a good thing.

This week featured the news revisiting the subject matter of several plays I’ve written or directed in the past. One of those, Inherit the Wind, the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, is a semi-fictional retelling of the Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. This year marks the 100th year anniversary of that trial. Neil Steinberg has a terrific piece, both commemorating and commiserating. Given how short a distance we’ve traveled in this circle we keep walking in. Check out 100 Years Ago, The Scopes Trial Gripped The Nation, And Here We Go Again.

Twice a week on social media I post “This is your now weekly, and continuing reminder that we’re still fighting the Civil War.” Frankly, I don’t see it any other way for reasons I shouldn’t have to explain. I don’t often post interviews in this column, but I’m making an exception this week to post Amita Sharma’s interview with political scientist Barbara Walter who has helped forecast civil wars in other countries. Take a look at San Diego Political Expert Details Steps That Could Lead To US Civil War.

I blow hot and cold on Tom Nichols’ political commentary. I very much like his piece Damn You All To Hell! Find out his thoughts on how Hollywood taught a generation to fear nuclear catastrophe. It might have worked with that horror. Funny, yet sad, how it hasn’t worked with all of the goings on currently.

History is indeed always an incomplete picture that’s always evolving and struggling to take hold. In Texas Man’s Fight To Move A Lynching Marker Sparks New Battle For Truth, Christina Carrega pinpoints one of those moments of evolution.

Mathew Ingram says We Shouldn’t Blame AI For The Stupid Things That People Do. I agree. AI is the prime example.

Chris Castle takes on a piece of the Section 230 argument, thinking that a new theory of liability is emerging, grounded not in speech, but in conduct. Give a look at The Duty Comes From The Data: Rethinking Platform Liability In The Age of Algorithmic Harm.

And to round out the circle this week, take a look at David Sparks’ A Remarkable, Unremarkable Thing. Don’t let the small things go unnoticed.

(Image from Anya Chernik on Unsplash)

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here. You can also find more of my writings on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Not as Self-Evident as Some Would Have You Believe

History twists and turns in often strange ways.

Some things are indeed self-evident. Some of that evidence gets white washed away.

This video was created as an ad by Ancestry.com to encourage folks to use that service to learn more about their ancestry. It feels particularly relevant again on this 4th of July, 2025.

I can’t vouch for the claim that all of those pictured are actual descendants of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. I can claim that I’d like that to be the case, because to my mind it would be a nice addition to the mythology surrounding this country’s founding and almost 250 years of existence, now that what those who did the signing actually stood for is under threat.

History may be written by the victors. But there’s always more than what the chapters convey.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

A Not So Happy 4th of July

Mourning not celebrating this year.

Today is the 4th of July. Beyond its annual appearance on the Gregorian calendar it has always been a day of special significance for Americans. Indeed, the reason behind the celebration has been until recently an inspiration for the world. But that has changed. Sadly, I’m one who believes forever. At least the forever that is the remainder of my life.

What’s intriguing is how we’ve all managed to mangle up the significance of the 4th of July and Independence Day. At its essence the day celebrates the 56 men who put their name on a declaration declaring independence from the King of Britain. No small undertaking, they were willing to hang for their beliefs by putting their names on that document. A far different display of courage than what we see from any of our political leaders these days, especially those who are content to bow to another king wannabe in Donald Trump.

Keep in mind, that a large portion of the population of America at the time had no interest in independence from the crown. That division of opinion has always been a part of the character of the country and always will be. Call it self-evident.

It’s brought us through tumult and brought us into conflict. Yet we’ve always had enduring principles alongside some morally wrong views, later enshrined in the Constitution, to keep us on course for change. Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech, What To A Slave is the Fourth of July? spoke elegantly to the challenges then and sadly still with us.

I certainly don’t need to recount any of the madness that is happening around and to us, as it is tough to keep up with most of it. Our backwards trajectory at the moment almost defies reason. So, instead of celebrating the 4th, I’ll be mourning.

I’m also going to link to an excellent piece from Jack Hopkins called The 4th of July: What We Were Meant to Celebrate— and How We’re Failing It. One of the many points Hopkins points to is that the Founders weren’t just rebels, they were thinkers. As a country, we seem to have lost our capability and desire for that kind of thought and philosophical approach to governing ourselves.

Here’s hoping you enjoy your time this weekend with family and friends. If you’re happy with the way things are going, good for you, but also damn you to hell. If you’re not, mourn or celebrate as you will. Mark what was a courageous beginning in a time that seems to be marking the cowardly beginning of an end to what it started.

As Hopkins says, “the 4th of July isn’t just a birthday. It’s a challenge.”

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

Should We Teach Our Children To Lie Better?

The truth is everybody lies.

I remember my grandfather saying “Politicians always lie. That’s why they get elected. It’s a dirty business. Stay away from it.” Keep in mind, he was a good acquaintance if not a good friend with all the local elected politicians. It was always weird seeing him be friendly with them at church or other social gatherings. So, from my perspective there was always a disconnect that’s been a part of my view of politics and politicians for most of my life. I doubt I’m alone.

Of course politicians aren’t the only ones who lie. Corporations do. Ordinary humans lie to other humans. Hell, these days, even AI chatbots lie. It’s all an expected part of the game of life, regardless of what the ninth of the Ten Commandments say.

Most legal systems are built on the premise that one side of the other is going to lie in some form or the other and it’s up to a judge or jury to determine where the truth my lie. But rarely does the losing side get punished for using lies as a defense.

What I do wonder though is why we waste so much time teaching our children not to lie. Given that we know full well they are going to grow up in a world where lying is not just the coin of the realm, but the realm itself, why bother? We do spend time teaching them to beware of the lies being told by salespeople, politicians, friends, etc… But I don’t think many parents spend time providing their progeny with better deceptive skills to be successful.

It’s a weird disconnect. Of course we want our kids to own up when they do something wrong. But eventually they figure it out anyway and everyone goes around living the lie about not lying. Rinse. Repeat.

Bad liars are easy to spot. So I guess arming youngsters with better skills wouldn’t’ necessarily be a bad thing. These days, even the bad liars seem to be rewarded for getting away with it, so a better skill set might unlock better achievements. But then again, choosing sides between Kant and Aristotle on the virtues of truth telling and situational ethics isn’t really good fodder for a dinner time conversation with the kids.

There are many old sayings that end with “_________makes liars of us all.” You can fill in the blank with “the world,” “fear,” “marriage,” “The Internet,” etc…. You can pick your target for blame. Just don’t pick yourself.

Perhaps hallucinating AI chatbots will one day level the playing field of liars by “reasoning” this down to the lowest common denominator. Regardless of what their makers say, they can only learn and spit back what humans have already learned and regurgitated back into the world. We’re all lousy liars, some lousier than others. We lie to the tune of our own rhyme or reason in the moment. And we certainly haven’t learned to pretend other as we endlessly recycle our inability to do different.

Image from Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

Sunday Morning Reading

Tough times. Tough thoughts.

The world changed last night in ways we can’t comprehend this morning after the Trump Regime did indeed launch anticipated bombing attacks on Iran. Or maybe it’s too easy to comprehend, yet ignore, the why of it all too well. So it’s tough to put this week’s Sunday Morning Reading column together. I had a number of links to share on my usual topics of interest that I’ll save for another day. Instead I’ll just link to three posts that speak to the moment.

Gwyn hay JWUtWikNpSA unsplash.

First up is The Chosen Few and the Global Silence from NatashMH. “Yet history repeats with cruel precision,” she says. And she’s right. One day perhaps we’ll stop destroying ourselves with our decidedly unoriginal thoughts and ways.

Graham Peebles asks Is This What Collapse Looks L ike? That we have to ask the question…

Writing about last week’s horrendous assassination of Melissa Hortman and the attempted assassination of John Hoffman, Sheririlyn Ifill says “people of character stand up” in her piece When Small Men and Women Rule. On so many fronts, it’s time for some standing up.

(image from Gwyn Hay on Unsplash.)

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here. You can also find more of my writings on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

We Just Keep Watching As We Roll Faster Into Disaster

If an AI commits a murder can it argue self-defense?

It’s all feels like a bad movie. One that is both made poorly and has a “you can see it a mile off” bad ending. It doesn’t matter if it’s politics, social decay, or the seemingly inevitable march of Artificial Intelligence, we all know how badly most of these things are going to play out, yet we sit spellbound watching the story unfold.

Axios has been on an anti-AI roll lately (a good thing) and they published this piece titled Top AI Models Will Lie, Cheat and Steal To Reach Goals, Anthropic Finds. For some reason Axios decided not to include “take deliberate actions that lead to death” in the headline.

Given our seeming acquiesce to lying, cheating, and stealing in most realms of life these days, I guess that’s one way of toning down the bad news. Go read the article. Or should I say, the summary.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

What’s Next After No Kings Protests?

We’re all asking the same question. There are no easy answers.

The No Kings protests this weekend were quite a recipe for hope. I won’t post any crowd number estimates because despite what you may hear or read there’s no real way to know numbers. What is knowable though is the large number of locations across the country that participated, indicating a depth and breadth of support against this horrible fascist regime we allowed to take over.

No kings protest la.

I’m including this link to Scott Dworkin’s post that contains a collection of No Kings protest photos from all 50 states. It’s a great look at that breadth and depth. But those are snapshots of moments in time. The energy that compelled so many to join protests this weekend needs to somehow be harnessed so that any momentum is not lost.

Certainly since the head of the regime we’re all protesting against has done the only thing he can do, which is double down with his threats, now more specifically calling out Blue State cities and populations. We need to turn that recipe for hope into a full blown meal.

So, how do we keep it going?

That’s going to be tough, but this is a tough fight. I’m one who believes that we should extend weekend protests into the work week. Disrupt the work week and it will have a larger impact than just a weekend event. Especially given how the media seems too afraid to provide anything approaching real coverage, and the Trump adjacent media is just going to ignore it or make shit up. Unless there’s violence they want to exploit.

As an example of that, I sent out the above link from Scott Dworkin to some sadly still MAGAt worshipping relatives. From most I got the usual brush off. But two responded that they had no idea the protests were so large across the country. Guess where they get their news?

Perhaps that’s a simple cue we can use for our own good intentions. Accept the media won’t cover what needs covering. Assume those you know won’t see it if they do. Become your own source for providing information. Keep in mind, It won’t do any good to send inaccurate info or just be argumentative. Just send out the info with a message that says “in case you didn’t see this.”

I know that’s tricky ground for many with family tensions about this moment. But, in my humble opinion, it’s a step in the right direction and a necessary one. Big steps were taken this weekend. We need to keep moving forward. The other side is and will. Let’s make it tougher, not easier for them to do so.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

Thinking of This Guy and All of Us Today

Maybe it will rain.

Thinking of this guy today. Known as Tank Man for standing in front of a line of tanks during the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989. Don’t know why. Perhaps it’s because we’re rolling tanks out to celebrate a dictator wanna- be’s birthday.

Remember. This image can’t be openly viewed in China currently.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

Hinge Moment?

It’s going to be a weekend.

There’s really no way to know if you’re living through a hinge moment of history or not. But these next few days certainly have the makings of one.

Shutterstock 2433622859.

Between the events in Los Angeles, (including what happened to Senator Padilla,) already planned but now growing No Kings protests, Trump’s ego-fluffing birthday parade, and events in the Middle East, the atmosphere is charged. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel a sense of foreboding.

There’s no way to know what is going to happen and yet we all know we have to live through whatever comes. It’s almost like preparing for surgery knowing you have a negative reaction to anesthesia.

To be perfectly honest, I think my biggest fear is that we have such fools and imbeciles in charge. There may be plans, there may be desired outcomes. There may be plans to disrupt either. The events I cited above, while all potentially fraught with the potential for danger, all depend on those imbeciles and whatever decisions they are going to make, and the reactions to them.

Sadly, we don’t have to look hard to find them or see their imbecilic behavior. Apparently, according to the Secretary of Army, there is an American soldier on the moon. The Pentagon is a mess. And the White House, well.. let’s just say I think the faithful is starting to lose a bit of faith in what comes out of there anymore.

Speaking of faith, I don’t have much of it in those elected to be leading voices in opposition.

If so much didn’t hang in the balance, all of this would be laughable. But so much does indeed hang in the balance. Beyond my fears of the imbeciles is how much they relish being cruel. They’ve baked cruelty into the cake they want to stuff down our throats to a point that just being cruel for the sake of it seems to be the entire point, not just a means to an end.

To be honest, while it feels like things are stacked against those, like me, who stand against this imbecilic sadistic regime, I sense that there are still possibilities to erode the ground underneath their plans. I may not be encouraged by the s0-called leaders of the opposition, but I am heartened by what seems to be a growing groundswell of anger among those they think they’re leading.

Things might need to get uglier first, sadly. The saga of human history bears that out. Perhaps these next few days will tell us which way the hinge of history is going to swing. Perhaps not.

See you on the other side.

Photo by Vasylchenko on Shutterstock.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.