Wisconsin, with a gerrymandered legislature and a crony capitalist, lame-duck governor, was never going to have an easy transition back to a tradition of democratically representative government and sound economic policy. The men who engineered years of the wrong approach were never going to go gently to the political outer darkness that, deservedly, awaits them.…
Kakistocracy
Education, Kakistocracy, Law, Trump, Unfit
Trump Nominee Non-Committal on School Integration
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Alternative title: Why We Resist and Oppose. WATCH: During her confirmation hearing this morning (yes, this morning – in 2018), judicial nominee Wendy Vitter refused to say whether she agreed with the result in Brown v. Board of Education. #UnfitToJudge pic.twitter.com/RWroh0XUIC — The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) April 11, 2018 Consider the remarks of Wendy Vitter,…
Kakistocracy, Trump
Trump Administration Departures
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Brian Steler sent along to his readers a photo showing the departures – so far – from the Trump Administration. Stelter writes that On MSNBC Tuesday night, Lawrence O’Donnell joked that this graphic is a “copyrighted feature of Rachel Maddow’s show:” Her “big board” of Trump admin departures. The list keeps getting longer and the…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Kakistocracy, Nepotism, Sexual Harassment
‘Inappropriate’ as the Passport to Unaccountable
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
“Do you believe your father’s [sexual misconduct] accusers?” –@PeterAlexander “I think it’s a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he’s affirmatively stated there’s no truth to it.” –@IvankaTrump pic.twitter.com/23AVPgcOdE — TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 26, 2018 Trying to figure out what part of this is inappropriate.…
Kakistocracy, Trump
‘Trump is a dumb person’s idea of a smart person’
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Jennifer Rubin writes that “Trump is a dumb person’s idea of a smart person,” and expands on that description today in the Post: In many ways, President Trump behaves just how poor people imagine rich people do — with garish, ostentatious displays of wealth, imperiousness toward the common folk and disregard for the rules others must…
Authoritarianism, Kakistocracy, Mendacity, Trump
‘Trump is never going to be a proper president’
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
City, Kakistocracy, Newspapers, Trump
That Which Paved the Way
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
Adam Khan, writing at @Khanoisseur, has an answer for why Trump was able to prevail, despite myriad political & personal failings. Khan’s answer explains part of Trump’s success (and on the national front, I think he’s chiefly right): Investigative journalism was gutted at news rooms during the recession–partly why Trump was possible @fredericg https://t.co/SIPiRjLB62 — Adam…
Kakistocracy, Trump
Trump White House Posts Satirical Essay That Actually Ridicules Trump Budget Plan
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Hard to believe but true: the official White House Daily 1600 (a daily briefing @ https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily) touts a Washington Post satirical essay mocking Trump’s budget approach as though the essay were favorable (as of 11:37 AM ET). Alexandra Petri’s Trump’s budget makes perfect sense and will fix America, and I will tell you why must have…
Kakistocracy, Law, Mendacity, Trump
Axl Rose on Jeff Sessions
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Foreign Affairs, Kakistocracy, Trump
Britian’s Foreign Minister Uses Van Halen Defense to Justify Trump State Visit
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
There’s a debate in Parliament about whether to extend a state visit to Donald Trump. Trying to mount a defense of a Trump visit, the British foreign minister had this to say about why Trump should be accorded the honor: Boris Johnson tells the House that he believes “both Nicolae Ceausescu and Robert Mugabe have been entertained by…
Federal Government, Kakistocracy, Law, Trump
David Frum Asks: Should a Patriotic American Work for Donald Trump?
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Conservative David Frum (with whom a libertarian would have many differences) yet asks and answers rightly the question, Should a Patriotic American Work for Donald Trump? Frum draws a distinction between personal service to Trump and government positions that are removed from the president: A law-abiding person will want to stay as far as possible…
Education, Federal Government, Kakistocracy, Trump
Betsy DeVos: What a Weak Nominee Looks Like
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
In a confirmation hearing, one might face tough questioning, and those tough questions might – understandably – trip up a nominee. What shouldn’t happen, to someone of normal ability and proper preparation, is to stumble over simple, straightforward questions. That’s what happened to Trump nominee for secretary of education Betsy DeVos: she stumbled (indeed, almost threw herself…
Kakistocracy, Language, Misconduct, Trump
The ‘Best Words’ Turn Out to Be Someone Else’s Words
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Donald Trump insists that he uses ‘the best words‘ and that he will only hire ‘the best people.’ Turns out, some of those best people have found the best words not of their own expression, nor even of Trump’s, but of third parties from whom they have liberally plagiarized: Monica Crowley, President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s pick…
Alt-Right, America, Authoritarianism, Federal Government, Freedom of Speech, Kakistocracy, Law, Liberty, Trump
Distillation for a Resistance (First Edition)
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
We’re early in this new political era, with a long time ahead of us, and there’s a need to get a sense of one’s bearings. (The sound way to approach the new politics that has overcome America through the three-thousand-year traditional of liberty to be found in many places, the Online Library of Liberty being…