budget

A Dispassionate Look At A Border Wall

One of the great dangers to us during the Trump presidency is our tendency to automatically discount anything the man says as either false, foolish, or insane.

There’s a reason we do this:  Donald Trump is well known for proclaiming the impossible loudly and repeatedly, as though that would make it true — or convince anyone aside from his more militant followers.  However, just because he says something doesn’t automatically make that thing wrong.

I want to be very clear:  I disagree with many of Trump’s policies and far more of his statements.  I believe him to be ill-mannered and (at best) deliberately provocative (more…)

Shutdown = Good?

The news stories on the current government shutdown are composed almost entirely of quotes from various lawmakers who want nothing more than to try and cast the blame on each other and on the President.  After all, there were three perfectly good compromise plans (they say), and if only there were effective leadership and reasonable people on the other side of the aisle, we could have picked one and got on with our lives.

What they all carefully avoid mentioning is that a shutdown is arguably better than us passing yet another continuing resolution.

Let me explain, and then you can tell me if you agree. (more…)

Maxine Waters, And Other Things I Won’t Write About

Three things happened yesterday with vital importance and lasting impact on the American political, social, and economic landscape.  And Congresswoman Maxine Waters wasn’t involved in any of them.

It’s no shock any longer that our national news media is, to put it plainly, crap.  It is driven inexorably toward sensationalism by the twenty-four hour news format, to the detriment of (more…)

We’re Going To Mars?

(Picture of empty status board in NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building.  Image credit Tony Rice.)

Amid all the scandal, the signing on Tuesday of the NASA reauthorization act (now Public Law 115-10) caused almost no noise in the media.  On the face of it, this is a standard funding authorization, and those aren’t usually worthy of much attention.

But slightly below the surface, this law contains several alterations from the present status.  It’s definitely worth a second look. (more…)

Dead On Arrival: Trump’s Budget

Once again the headlines are blaring alarms.  This time, the stories are (allegedly) full of news about Donald Trump’s proposed budget.

To begin with, I’d like to mention in passing that his intent to slash services is not news.  We knew it already; it’s merely him keeping his campaign promises. Which, admittedly, is unusual for politicians in general, but Mr. Trump has kept a fair number so far, so this (more…)

I’m Pretty Sure He’s Human

For me, the trouble with writing about politics these days is that it’s too easy to say bad things.

I don’t mean that it’s easy to insult the President and his people.  That’s always easy.  It’s always been easy, truth be told, which is exactly why the media always does it:  They meet their deadlines and win Pulitzers and can still make Happy Hour, and (more…)

Obama Is Not Taking Your Guns

I should have started this with “Spoiler Alert”.  ‘Cause nobody’s seen this movie yet.

A couple of days ago, President Obama announced on national television that he was taking executive action about gun violence.  He invoked memories of tragedies, from Newtown and Aurora through Ford Hood and San Bernardino, and at one point he broke into tears.

I’m going to (more…)