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Campaign Ads, China, Corruption, Foreign Affairs, Trump, Unfit

’Chyna’

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The Trump campaign has been running ads accusing Biden of being soft on China. That avenue of attack – always dubious, as it was Trump who started a trade war with China to the detriment of American consumers and farmers – has now slipped away, as the allegation’s in Bolton’s book now place Trump at…

America, Police, Protests, Race, Trump

Why Now?

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Social historians, looking at the many protests against police violence (protests taking place across America and in other countries) will be able (if imprecisely) to assess the motivations of these recent events. Of two things one can be confident, without being a historian: these protests are in response to specific acts of law-enforcement violence, with…

America, Politics, Poll, Trump

Trump’s Undersized Base

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Polling from Morning Consult illustrates well the limitations of Trump’s base-only strategy: his support (base and supportive voters) represents less than needed for re-election. That support is, in fact, notably consistent in its inadequacy: Over many months, including before the brunt of the pandemic, Trump has been stuck in a weak position. This does not…

Authoritarianism, Federal Government, Freedom of Speech, Police, Trump, Unfit, Violence, William Barr

Detailed Video Timeline of the Crackdown on Protesters Before Trump’s Photo Op

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The Washington Post analyzed hours of video footage and obtained audio of police communications and other records to assemble the most complete account to date of the June 1 crackdown on protesters in Washington D.C.. Late in the day on June 1, demonstrators gathered near the White House, on the edge of Lafayette Square, to…

Books, Literacy, Trump

Bogus Bibliophiles Benito Mussolini & Donald Trump

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There’s an oft-repeated tale, from Ernest Hemingway, about an encounter he had with Benito Mussolini in the 1920s, in which Mussolini – by Hemingway’s account – pretends to read a book: At a time when the Western consensus was championing Mussolini’s potential to rehabilitate postwar Italy, Hemingway branded the Duce as “coward” with a “genius…