Author Archives: gdkrenz

Time to “Orban” Trump (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 14, 2026 by gdkrenz

There has been much good commentary on Magyar’s decisive victory over Orban in Hungary. It will take some time to sort out various lessons, but as Anne Applebaum suggests in this piece, “Illiberalism is not Inevitable,” in The Atlantic, perhaps … Continue reading →

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Let’s change how we talk about taxes (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 10, 2026 by gdkrenz

The Nation has an excellent article by Zephyr Teachout on US energy prices and policy and the need for reform. My immediate reason for posting about it, however, is not energy, it’s about the framing that the article utilizes for … Continue reading →

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My dream of Democratic strength (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 9, 2026 by gdkrenz

Over the past five days, Donald Trump has engaged in an increasingly unhinged and evil rant on social media: Meanwhile, he continues to sow chaos with lies, innuendos, shifting positions, and on and on. Unsurprising in this is the failure … Continue reading →

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The danger of the cease fire (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 7, 2026 by gdkrenz

OK, if you feel insane, you’re not alone. We begin the day with Trump threatening genocide of the “whole civilization” of Iran. Senator Elissa Slotkin and others are compelled to issue, again, statements to the effect that our military personnel … Continue reading →

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For a sigh and a smile . . . (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 4, 2026 by gdkrenz

When I saw this article in the New York Times today, I could have sworn that I had just somehow jumped to The Onion. I at least expected the byline date to be April 1. But this is serious reporting, … Continue reading →

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Dan Little on political formation and bigotry (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 2, 2026 by gdkrenz

Our “Affirming Democracy” colleague, Dan Little, has an excellent post on his Understanding Society blog, “How are an individual’s political values formed?” This is toward understanding the disturbing increase in bigotry among young GOP and conservative activists that Dan pointed … Continue reading →

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The dictator celebrates war crimes

Posted on April 2, 2026 by gdkrenz

Trump’s “address” to the nation yesterday — if anything from the master of the word salad can legitimately be called an “address” — is a frightening look into the Trumpian mind — if it can be called a “mind.” Here … Continue reading →

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Trump’s – not Adam Smith’s – “Invisible Hand” (Gary Krenz)

Posted on April 1, 2026 by gdkrenz

Robert Reich in his substack recently reminded us that this year is the 250th anniversary not only of the US but also of Adam Smith’s monumental work, The Wealth of Nations. The one idea that most people know from this … Continue reading →

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No Kings and Our Democratic Opportunity (Gary Krenz)

Posted on March 29, 2026 by gdkrenz

We had a wonderful No Kings experience in Ann Arbor yesterday–as always. People’s creativity with signs and banners is always remarkable, and it is hard to imagine gathering with a more thoughtful group of individuals. Conversations are always good — … Continue reading →

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Dangers of the Attacks on Iran (Gary Krenz)

Posted on February 28, 2026 by gdkrenz

Donald Trump has launched a “war of choice” — Orwell would love that term — on Iran, killing Ayatollah Khamanei and 200 or more others, by latest report. The US has acted with Israel and no others, and Trump and … Continue reading →

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