Tag Archives: authoritarianism

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The State of America (Gary Krenz)

Posted on July 4, 2026 by gdkrenz

Photo of Lincoln’s First Inauguration Well, here we are. We are sad, we are afraid, we are determined, we are hopeful, and we do not know what the future holds. But, here we are, and we have good reasons to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Two visions of citizenship

Posted on July 2, 2026 by gdkrenz

As you know, the Supreme Court has rejected Trump’s Executive Order seeking to end birthright citizenship. This is the good news. The bad news is that the decision was basically 5-1-3, or more accurately, from the standpoint of the basic constitutional principle, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Revolution and Counterrevolution

Posted on July 1, 2026 by gdkrenz

We are, of course, about to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolution of 1776. I say “commemorate” rather than “celebrate” because it is not clear what sort of celebration could be called for at … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Danger and the Opportunity

Posted on June 21, 2026 by gdkrenz

We are at a cusp in American history, a moment of crisis and opportunity. Trump is increasingly out of touch with reality, now alienating even parts of his base. But the Trump machine, the GOP machine, the Fox/Sinclair media machine … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SCOTUS’s Rejection of “Democratic Energy”

Posted on May 18, 2026 by gdkrenz

Jamelle Bouie is one of the most incisive and profound commentators on the sociopolitics of America, bringing historical understanding, philosophical perspicacity, and clear vision to bear on any number of topics. His newsletter from a couple of days ago on … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Right’s Demonization of Democracy (Gary Krenz)

Posted on May 10, 2026 by gdkrenz

An ongoing canard on the Right and among MAGA types is that the United States is “not a democracy but a republic.” This piece by Barbara Clark Smith of the Smithsonian Institution is a fine, concise historical review of the relationship of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments