OPENING I understand that tonight’s event has been billed as a presidential debate, but based on hours of listening to Donald Trump’s past performances I don’t think there’s going to be a debate tonight. A debate is when two people argue policy based on facts and logic. The reality is that Donald Trump has not …
What I’d Like to Hear at the Presidential Debate – 2024 Read More »
Well, the “F-word” of American politics is finally being brandished by both sides in a classic game of rubber v. glue. But there is danger in simply writing the battle off as a food fight, in objecting “BZL2 !” (as I might) or saying “a pox on both your houses” (as William Shakespeare might). When …
Whatever you think about Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion in Dobbs v. Mississippi, one thing should be clear – no judge who signed that opinion should be called “conservative.” Radical perhaps. Or regressive. Even authoritarian. But if you want to use words precisely, as Supreme Court Justices should, don’t call them conservative. We know what …
CONSERVATIVE, adj.: radical, regressive, authoritarian Read More »
When I was growing up, dinner was a time for our family to talk about what was going on in our lives, and in the world. Very often, when a question would come up, for example about the electoral college, my father would intone “Hand me please the Es”, and one of us would dutifully …
In the first part of this argument, I tried to persuade you that conflict is a normal part human interaction, and that it can be good for us if done in a constructive way. I distinguished a constructive form of conflict, which I called “arguing”, from a destructive form, which I called “fighting.” I then …
What This Country Needs is a Good Argument! – Part Two Read More »
The conventional wisdom is that nothing gets done in this country because we are constantly arguing with each other. In particular, nothing gets done in Congress because our elected representatives argue too much. To the contrary, I claim that we don’t argue enough, and especially that Congress does not argue nearly enough. I believe that …
There is a pandemic raging in the United States. No, not that one. I’m talking about a pandemic of pointless political argument – argument that does not lead to resolution or action, but only divides people, and thereby makes effective action to deal with problems less likely. When those arguments occur within families or among …
Despite efforts to complicate things, the issue of whether President Trump should be impeached and removed from office boils down to the answers to four straightforward questions. These four questions frame an argument for impeachment and removal. It starts with what are hopefully agreed principles, and proceeds based on facts and logic to a …