What story in classic literature best describes Donald J. Trump? Narcissus kneeling at the still pool captivated by the beauty of his own reflected image is a good answer. But Mr. Trump is never still, and he kneels to no one. He flies around the country to address huge rallies. The crowd is a moving mirror,... Continue Reading →
“ . . .there are many single regiments whose members, one and another, possess full practical knowledge of all the arts, sciences, professions, and whatever else, whether useful or elegant, is known in the world; and there is scarcely one from which there could not be selected a President, a Cabinet, a Congress, and perhaps... Continue Reading →
Introduction Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian and twelfth Librarian of the Congress of the United States, authored a book in 1961 entitled The Image: Or, What Happened to the American Dream. I read the book in 1992 when the 25th year anniversary edition came out, with the addition of an Afterword by George F. Will,... Continue Reading →
When Abraham Lincoln ran for President as the nominee of the Republican Party in 1860, he remained home in Springfield while surrogates canvassed the country on behalf of his candidacy. That was the custom then, for all candidates, not just Lincoln. Humility was a public virtue. Candidates for President, at least in theory, were to... Continue Reading →
The terms conservative and liberal have a long currency in politics. Among other uses they mark ‘right’ and ‘left’ on the political spectrum. Republicans found it useful to invoke conservative principles in seeking to roll back Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation in the 1930s and 40s. They subsequently launched a ‘movement’ under the banner... Continue Reading →
Happy Valley, the documentary (not to be confused with the television series) reprises events surrounding the indictment in 2011 and conviction in 2012 of Jerry Sandusky on forty-five counts of sexual abuse of young boys while associated with Penn State University and its football program. Sandusky, a Penn State graduate, worked as assistant coach for... Continue Reading →
JamBase, a San Francisco based live music company, took the occasion of the fifty-year celebration of The Grateful Dead, and their Fare Thee Well concert tour, to invite a variety of younger musicians to cut a cover of their favorite Greatful Dead song. This resulted in a evocative series of fifty covers produced with Telefunken in fifty... Continue Reading →
If you happen to be asking: what in God’s name is Will doing in his recent blog entries, I’m highlighting claims in Abdication: God Steps Down for Good that appear to have been overlooked by its readers and commentators, probably because of the “abdication of God” idea featured in its title. A new reader can... Continue Reading →
