As 2015’s final minutes tick away, it’s gives us a chance to look into the mirror to see what we are leaving behind. Many philosophers have noted that history tends to repeat itself. Terrorism. Gun violence. Racial tensions. Religious differences. Politics. The environment. So we reflect on the events and trends of 2015 in hopes of identifying patterns, learning from the mistakes of the past and building on its successes to take on many of the same challenges in 2016.
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“Trump-ing” the Holidays
Posted December 23rd, 2015 at 2:50 pm (UTC-4)
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Christmas means family time and in many homes across America, the talk will turn to the upcoming presidential election. And there’s lots to talk about. The latest polls show Hillary Clinton building a commanding lead for the Democratic nomination over two other contenders. In the 12-person Republican field, Donald Trump has increased his lead despite more controversy over his remarks, this week directed at Clinton. But it is another five weeks before the first votes are cast in the Iowa caucuses, and historically, voters don’t make up their minds until they have to. Trump’s rise to the top dominates the American political conversation. It has the country’s top political thinkers questioning conventional political wisdom. And it has some prominent Republicans questioning the survival of their party.
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin: Their Mutual Admiration is Unjustified
Posted December 23rd, 2015 at 1:40 pm (UTC-4)
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There is powerful evidence that Vladimir Putin is guilty of the murder of journalists, but it is impossible to “prove” his guilt because there is no police force in Russia that will investigate him and no court where he can be held to account. Under these circumstances, Donald Trump’s statement … is an absurdity.
Putin and Trump: It’s a Match!
Posted December 18th, 2015 at 3:18 pm (UTC-4)
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“He is a bright and talented person without any doubt.” The words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who lavishly praised Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Trump returned the favor the very next day when asked about Putin’s comments. “He’s running his country, and at least he’s a leader, unlike what we have in this country,” ignoring assertions from a TV host that Putin “kills journalists, political allies and invades countries.”
The love from Trump isn’t new. Previously, he said he thought he’d get along with Putin, who now has chilly relations with the United States after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and his highly suspect record on human rights. Diplomats were left gasping or opining righteously on cable news outlets that Trump’s comments prove what a danger a President Trump would be. Others found humor in the odd love affair. One blogger called it “Trumpevich.”
Do Republicans Really Want the Black and Latino Vote?
Posted December 18th, 2015 at 11:10 am (UTC-4)
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This spectacle of racial, reactionary populism, rhetoric and political protest is not a concept that is new to the theater of American politics. Comparisons abound between Trump and segregationist Democrat George Wallace or, better yet, Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
The G.O.P. at a Crossroads
Posted December 17th, 2015 at 12:54 pm (UTC-4)
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[I]f the race came down to the three men currently leading in the national polls, Republican primary voters would be facing their most ideologically consequential choice since 1980. Unlike many G.O.P. campaigns, in which terms like “establishment” and “populist” are mostly about affect and rhetoric, this time the Republican front-runners offer three very different visions […]
12 Reasons for America’s Fascination With Trump
Posted December 17th, 2015 at 10:28 am (UTC-4)
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Like a tornado or a typhoon, the political tsunami that is Donald Trump is a complex coalescence of current and historical forces whose unforeseen speed and power threatens to wreak havoc on the 2016 political landscape.
Why Republicans Should Hope Donald Trump Runs As An Independent
Posted December 11th, 2015 at 10:02 am (UTC-4)
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To be clear, Hillary Clinton is an equally terrifying prospect. But if Trump wins the nomination and runs as a Republican, we’ll have Democrats like Clinton in the White House for the next 50 years.
Presidential Candidates Proposing to Ban Muslim Immigration to the United States
Posted December 11th, 2015 at 8:26 am (UTC-4)
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I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world. True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.
Tackling the Threat of Islamic Extremism
Posted December 10th, 2015 at 3:08 pm (UTC-4)
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There has been a steady drip, drip, drip of criticism aimed at President Barack Obama’s strategy against terrorism, and the threat posed here in the United States. Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump dominated the debate with his controversial call to bar Muslims from entering America in the wake of the deadly mass shooting by a Muslim couple in San Bernardino, California. Obama’s Oval Office address was examined and torn apart by his fiercest opponents for lacking anything new in the fight against the Islamic State, and for failing to comfort the nerves of ordinary Americans. From the president’s standpoint, those calling for a tougher response by pressing for a new military effort against jihadists are ignoring history – at America’s own peril.
Donald Trump’s Fascist Inclinations Do Not Bother His Fans
Posted December 9th, 2015 at 5:25 pm (UTC-4)
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Trump is Don Rickles with the political inclinations of Francisco Franco.
Demagoguery or Democracy? Trump’s Take on Muslims
Posted December 9th, 2015 at 3:58 pm (UTC-4)
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“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These famed words, written by American poet Emma Lazarus and inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, have greeted immigrants arriving on the shores of New York since 1903. They are the essence of these United States, the foundation of its democracy. So, when Republican hopeful Donald Trump proposed barring all Muslims from entering America in response to the San Bernadino terror attack is he practicing democratic principle of free speech? Or, are these the words of a demagogue?
I’m a Former U.S. Ambassador and an American Muslim
Posted December 8th, 2015 at 4:11 pm (UTC-4)
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I took my oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America with my hands on the Quran atop my wife’s Bible. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. I carried the American flag with dignity, honor and distinction.
America’s Angst Over Islam
Posted December 8th, 2015 at 3:55 pm (UTC-4)
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As we learn more details about the Muslim couple who carried out last week’s terror attack in San Bernardino, California, a tortured debate has erupted. Fear has unleashed unvarnished and sometimes ugly and inaccurate statements about Muslim-Americans. Emotions roiled further when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until we figure out what is going on.” The response has been overwhelmingly negative. Bloggers took to their computers and social media to condemn “Islamaphobia.” Between the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, a passionate debate has exploded. Islam itself seems to have become yet another casualty of terrorism.