A C. T U. A L. L Y

Hey, here's a pop quiz!  Can you identify the world leaders from the clues below?   Sorry.   No images in this post.   No visual hints.   All verb tenses are in the past to protect the guilty.   The answers are to be found in the link near the end of the post.   I highly recommend reading the linked article in full.   It’s very enlightening.   Here are your identity markers.   And no cheating!  Was elected by a minority of the popular vote. Communicated directly to his voter base via mass media. Blamed others for personal and national failures.     Divided the population using racial stereotypes.     Demonized political opponents.     Demeaned and objectified women, relegating them to subordinate roles.   Relentlessly attacked objective truth, including science. Vilified and undermined the mainstream press.   Developed a de facto state media for propaganda. ...

There is no escape from the wretchedness that stalks the earth.   I cast about for a counter-argument, for an idea that will put the scales in balance…. Paul Auster The Brooklyn Follies This nugget of wisdom from Paul Auster has become my coping mantra, together with a famous quote misattributed to Albert Einstein, which defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.   I’ve been doing that.   It’s crazy.   So, taking Auster’s approach, and instead of doing the same thing over and over again, (shouting clarion calls into the wilderness; waiting for doomsday), and expecting different results, (message received; crisis averted), I’m looking for a counter-argument to balance out the wretchedness. Turns out, counter-arguments are everywhere:   a long talk with a best friend, going for a walk and paying attention to my surroundings, enjoying the cat curled up in my lap, listening to music or looking a...

Why is the US so politically dysfunctional, and what can be done to fix it?   Only half facetiously, I recommend, "If you love your country, move to a state or into a Congressional district controlled by the opposite party.  Make America purple again!" What's wrong?  Let’s start with the Senate.     The Constitution provides that each state shall elect two Senators to Congress, regardless of that state’s population.   This provision is inherently biased in favor of states with small populations; it codifies non-proportional representation. In the past three Senate elections, Democrats garnered more votes nation-wide than Republicans, but they failed to control the majority of Senate seats nonetheless.   Solution:   amend the Constitution to provide for proportional representation in the Senate.   Chance of success:   zero.   Amendment of the Constitution requires approval by 3/4 of all state legislatures.   Th...