Apparently, a large portion of the United States thinks that it’s OK for police to be military these days. And, as of this weekend, that it’s OK for military to be police. They’re wrong. It’s important to maintain this distinction,…
Fragile Empires: Falling Slowly At First, Then All At Once
Everything happens faster in the modern world than it used to. This is natural. It’s basically a side-effect of more advanced technology. Communications are faster; transport of people and goods is faster. Change, even, in infrastructure and society is faster.…
Tariff Limits: A Long Time Coming, A Longer Time Going
It took almost 2 months, but a court has finally ruled that Trump’s Libation Day tariffs are illegal and unconstitutional. And now … the inevitable appeals. So, ya know, don’t start celebrating yet. The illegal part is simple: the law…
Unitary Executive: Proving The Anti-Federalists Were Right
OK, it took over 200 years to get to this point, but with the Supreme Court’s turn to the bogus “Unitary Executive” concept it looks like the Anti-Federalist position is being proved correct. So, yay? Predicting that a strong central…
Generative AI And Government Reform: Two Bad Tastes That Taste Horrible Together
I have no idea whether the idiots responsible for all the “AI in Government” initiatives actually believe that AI is real or not, but it doesn’t really matter. Dupes or frauds, they’ll wreck this country either way. But to be…
Trumpian Follies: Continent-sized Missile Defense Is Fools Gold
Donald Trump has … a thing … about nuclear war; it’s clear that the Cold War left a lasting impression on his psyche. And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far Ancestral voices prophesying war! – Kubla Khan, Samuel Taylor…
Surreality TV: The United States Hits Another New Low
This should come as no surprise for an administration soaked in the inky residue of “reality” TV gameshows. And yet, somehow, I can still be surprised. Apparently Kristi Noem and DHS think that it’s somehow a good idea to give…
Fine: Let’s Talk About The Stupid Airplane
So, apparently Quatar wants to give an all-luxed-up Boing 747 to Trump. Just, ya know, because they’re known for their generosity. Ha. On it’s face, such a gift would be spectacularly illegal. As-in, specifically-forbidden-in-the-Constitution levels of illegal. No Title of…
Spreading It Around: One Person, One Job
I discussed this problem before during what was at the time the worst and most corrupt Presidency in this country’s long and distinguished history of terrible Presidencies. But of course it’s back again. There was a whole presidential term in…
Mind The Gap: The Are No Actual Guardrails
The U.S. government was created by a bunch of comfortably-well-off dudes who never really thought it’d be controlled by people who seriously disagreed with them. That’s why it has no real blocks to serious abuses of power. Sure, they figured…