Tag Archives: news

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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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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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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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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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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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