Author Archives: gdkrenz

Government “for the people”

Posted on September 14, 2026 by gdkrenz

As I mentioned here, I am reflecting on “government of the people, by the people, for the people” as a formula to understand democracy. We will take the phrases in reverse order. So let’s begin: “government for the people.” This phrase … Continue reading →

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Remembering 9/11 (Gary Krenz)

Posted on September 11, 2026 by gdkrenz

Much is being spoken and written today about September 11, 2001 — much of it very good, much of it very thoughtful. It is, I think, hard to know what to say, and my feelings about the horrors of that … Continue reading →

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“Government of the people, by the people, for the people”: A Prologue (Gary Krenz)

Posted on September 9, 2026 by gdkrenz

I have been re-reading Garry Wills’s 1992 masterful and transformative work, Lincoln at Gettysburg.1 Wills takes a deep dive into the Gettysburg Address: its place in the history of funerary oration, in the burial culture of mid-19th-century America, in the intellectual tradition … Continue reading →

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Why democracy? (Gary Krenz)

Posted on September 5, 2026 by gdkrenz

A refrain that we often hear is along the lines of: most people are not motivated by appeals to save our democracy; the concept is too abstract; people are focused on bread-and-butter issues; maybe they can get exercised about the loss … Continue reading →

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Chaos and Resolve (Gary Krenz)

Posted on September 3, 2026 by gdkrenz

It is hard to imagine more chaos than we in the US face right now — though I fear we will find out what more is like. Certainly chaos as a function of time has had an upward slope. Trump’s … Continue reading →

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New University of Michigan President: Hope and Questions (Gary Krenz)

Posted on August 18, 2026 by gdkrenz

The University of Michigan Board of Regents has announced the selection of C. Cebele Raver as the next president of U-M. A formal vote will be taken on September 1. Raver, a developmental psychologist, is currently provost and vice chancellor … Continue reading →

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The Lowest of the Low

Posted on July 31, 2026 by gdkrenz

I’m watching Deadline Whitehouse on MSNOW, which I think is one of the best shows of political analysis we have. The current episode is covering recent polls, and Nicolle Wallace just said, “Trump’s poll numbers are approaching Richard Nixon levels just before … Continue reading →

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Devotion to Dignity

Posted on July 26, 2026 by gdkrenz

The MAGA Movement is intent on silencing authentic, responsible historiography of America’s past. This has been going on at least since DeSantis was elected governor of Florida (indeed, its roots go much farther back in the conservative movement). The latest … Continue reading →

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“You’ll Miss the Overall” (Gary Krenz)

Posted on July 17, 2026 by gdkrenz

When I was in junior high and high school I was, believe it or not, quite conservative. I devoured National Review, I was a fan of William F. Buckley, even more of Garry Wills and Jeffrey Hart, and I campaigned for … Continue reading →

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Donald, Thy Name Is Corruption (Gary Krenz)

Posted on July 11, 2026 by gdkrenz

Corruption. From the Latin corrumpere, which meant “to destroy, spoil, ruin, break to pieces” — and by extension, “to seduce or bribe.” When we say “corruption,” we of course think of things like graft, bribery, ill-gotten gains, misuse of power; we … Continue reading →

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